Museum of Indigenous People Executive Director Manuel Lucero, Cherokee, was invited to provide a blessing ceremony at Prescott’s World’s Oldest Rodeo®. The moment honored Indigenous heritage, the history of the land, and the community connections that continue to shape Prescott today.

MIP celebrates the volunteers who have helped shape the museum over the years and invites new volunteers to join the mission, support museum growth, and help visitors connect with the Indigenous Cultures of the Southwest.

Powwows have a connection to the 4th of July, but not in the simple patriotic way many people expect. For many Native communities, Independence Day became a way to keep gathering during an era when federal policy tried to suppress Native ceremonies, dances, and religious life.

The Museum of Indigenous People was honored to receive an $11,550 one-time grant from 100 Men Who Care of Yavapai County. The award followed a Prescott community giving event where local nonprofits shared their work and attendees voted to support one organization.

In the harsh Arizona desert, the Hohokam built structures that were never meant to fade. Casa Grande stands as proof—engineered with local materials and deep environmental knowledge, not force. These adobe walls reflect more than survival; they reveal a culture where architecture, identity, and land were inseparable. What endures today is not just a structure, but a legacy still shaping how we understand resilience.

Hopi/Tewa potters Dot and Emerson Ami demonstrating traditional pottery techniques at the Museum of Indigenous People. Live pottery firing demonstration by Native artists using traditional methods.