Baseball is often called America’s pastime, but the history of the game also includes the important contributions of Native American athletes. From Chiricahua Apache teams at Fort Sill to pioneers like Jim Thorpe and Louis Sockalexis, Indigenous players helped shape baseball at every level—from boarding school fields to Major League stadiums. Their stories reveal resilience, talent, and a legacy that deserves recognition as part of the broader history of the game.

Two mysterious bighorn sheep effigies discovered in Prescott, Arizona in 1935 continue to spark questions about the Indigenous cultures who created them. Now cared for by the Museum of Indigenous People, these rare cultural resource materials invite visitors to explore ancient connections, ceremonial traditions, and the ongoing research that helps uncover the deep history of the Southwest.

Pablo Abeita of Isleta Pueblo was an influential Indigenous leader, diplomat, and advocate for Pueblo land rights in the early 20th century. Fluent in several languages and respected for his wisdom, Abeita served on the All Indian Pueblo Council and helped guide efforts that led to the Pueblo Lands Act of 1924, a landmark law that confirmed Pueblo ownership of their traditional lands.

The Contributions exhibit at the Museum of Indigenous People highlights the lasting impact of Indigenous contributions to governance, technology, philosophy, and civic life. From the consensus leadership of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy to innovations still used today, Indigenous contributions shaped early American democracy and continue to influence modern society in ways often overlooked. On view February 13–July 31, 2026, in Prescott, Arizona.

Pablo Abeita of Isleta Pueblo was an influential Indigenous leader, diplomat, and advocate for Pueblo land rights in the early 20th century. Fluent in several languages and respected for his wisdom, Abeita served on the All Indian Pueblo Council and helped guide efforts that led to the Pueblo Lands Act of 1924, a landmark law that confirmed Pueblo ownership of their traditional lands.

The roots of American democracy extend deeper than many textbooks acknowledge. The Haudenosaunee Confederacy’s Great Law of Peace and model of unity among sovereign nations influenced early colonial leaders and helped shape foundational principles of federal governance. Discover this story and more at CONTRIBUTIONS, an exhibit exploring the Indigenous ideas that continue to shape the modern world.

Centuries before factories and patents, Indigenous engineers in Mesoamerica perfected rubber processing—creating waterproof textiles, ceremonial ballgame equipment, and resilient materials the modern world still relies on.

Museums have long shaped public understanding of Indigenous histories but who decides how those stories are told? This new research examines how Arizona institutions are confronting colonial legacies and shifting narrative power.

In a small 31-square-mile region south of Prescott, Arizona, archaeologists uncovered hundreds of rare prehistoric ceramic figurines—human and animal forms now linked to what became known as the Groom Creek Effigy Culture. Why they were made and why they were intentionally destroyed remains a mystery.