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Native American Heritage Month Logo

Celebrate and honor the cultural heritage, diverse histories, and continuing contributions of Native People during Native American Heritage Month (and every month) at the New York State Museum.

We invite you to visit the State Museum, attend our programming, and explore the additional resources below.

Upcoming Events

Statewide Native American Heritage Month Events

Check out the Office of State History's comprehensive list of NAHM events, lectures, and site visits happening across New York State!

Haudenosaunee Stories of Winter with Perry Ground

January 18, 2025
January 19, 2025

Perry Ground (Turtle Clan, Onondaga) shares Stories from the People of the Longhouse. This storytelling presentation is filled with traditional Haudenosaunee legends that have been told for hundreds of years. These stories teach about the beliefs, customs, and history of the Haudenosaunee people and continue to be an important part of Haudenosaunee culture.

NYSM Resources

New Acquisition: Double Weave Basket by Artist Carrie Hill (Kanien’keha:ka, Akwesasne)

Learn more about this extraordinary double-weave basket by Carrie Hill (Kanien’keha, Akwesasne) that creatively addresses the devastating impact of the Emerald Ash Borer on Haudenosaunee basketry and highlights the resilience of Indigenous traditions.

Unearthing Ceramic Technology and Pottery Traditions at the Mohawk Garoga Site

Discover how a recent investigation into 16th-century Haudenosaunee pottery and raw clay nodules from an ancient village is uncovering new secrets about the artistry, techniques, and daily life of the Kanien’keha:ka people. 

Burial Law: A New Law to Protect Unmarked Burial Sites in New York

Learn how New York's new "Unmarked Burial Site Protection Act" is reshaping the respectful treatment and protection of Indigenous burial sites, empowering Native communities to reclaim control over ancestral remains and cultural heritage.

Repatration

There are new 2023 regulations under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. Learn how they transforming museum practices, accelerating repatriation, and fostering deeper collaboration with Native Nations to honor and protect their cultural heritage.

A New York Minute in History Podcast: Centering Authentic Indigenous Voices

Discover ways historians can center authentic indigenous voices and work with Native American communities across the state in planning for the upcoming 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.

Artwork on Loan

Did you know you can view artwork from the NYSM Contemporary Indigenous Artwork & Ethnology Collections that is currently on loan with organizations throughout New York State? 

Featured Videos

Art and Photography with Shinnecock Artist Jeremy Dennis

Recorded on May 1, 2024

Artist Jeremy Dennis’s photography centers on Indigenous histories on Long Island and the complex, interdependent relationships between Indigenous people, non-Indigenous people, land, water, and animals that co-exist there.

Warrior of the Revolution: Colonel Louis Cook of the Seven Nations of Canada

Recorded on October 27, 2024

Author Darren Bonaparte presents an enlightening lecture on Colonel Louis Cook, a significant figure in the American Revolution.

Educator Resources & Online Exhibitions

Dispossession of Indigenous Lands Map

Learn more about territorial boundaries and the locations of present-day Indigenous Nations and communities whose ancestral lands lie within what is now New York.

Represent: Contemporary Native American Art

The Contemporary Native American Art Collection honors a living legacy of master craftsmanship and vibrant innovation in the artistic expressions of New York State's First Nations. 
View the Online Exhibit
View the Educational Guide (PDF)

A Kanien’keha:ka (Mohawk) Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Village

Discover more about three of the NYSM's most popular dioramas from the Native Peoples Gallery: A reconstruction of a full-size kanonhsésne (longhouse), a scale model of a Kanien’keha:ka (Mohawk) Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Village, and an agricultural field highlighting the three main crops utilized by the Haudenosaunee.
View the Online Exhibit
View Instructions on How to Build a Longhouse (PDF)

Schedule a School Group Tour: List of Programs
» Cradleboards and Longhouses
» Native Peoples of New York - A Journey
» People of the Longhouse

Fort Orange

Fort Orange was the first permanent Dutch settlement in New Netherland. Built as a trading post by the West India Company in 1624, the fort was also a point of contact and trade between Native Americans and Europeans.
View Exhibit Information
View Educational Materials:
» Native American Daily Life before Dutch Arrival (Google Doc)
» Trade at Fort Orange (Google Doc)

Additional Resources from the Office of Cultural Education

New York State Library

Visit the State Library’s website to learn more about upcoming programs and to explore other online resources. 

The Best Land: Researching a Contested Place
https://nyslibrary.libcal.com/event/12114956
Date: Thursday, November 14, 2024
Time: 12:00 pm–1:00 pm
Online: This is an online event. Event URL will be sent via registration email.

Talking Book and Braille Library

In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, we have curated a selection of braille and audiobooks for all ages. These titles are specifically formatted for people who are blind and print disabled. We encourage you to share them with friends and family who are patrons of the Talking Book and Braille Library or would like to begin service with us. Not eligible for our service? Your public library may have the same titles in a format that is available to you.
https://nyslibrary.libguides.com/blogs/tbbl/news/reading-list-iphm

New York State Archives

Indigenous history and culture is present throughout New York State and its history. The NYS Archives and many repositories throughout New York hold documents related to this history. This page offers direct access to highlighted resources centering the history of indigenous communities in New York.
https://considerthesourceny.org/featured-collections/native-american-her...

PBS

Access the Indigenous Culture & History folder featuring curated classroom resources from PBS LearningMedia. These K-12 multimedia support materials are free and teacher-crated, ranging in focus from New York State to across the United States.  
https://ny.pbslearningmedia.org/shared/1165858/6311193/


 

NYSED Teacher Resources

Access a list of resources for teachers from NYSED and external sources.
https://www.nysed.gov/indigenous-education/teacher-resources

e-2009

View a selection of artwork from the NYSM Contemporary Indigenous Art Collection and artifacts from the NYSM Anthropology Collection.

each one

Explore select artworks featured in the past exhibition Each One Inspired: Indigenous Art Across the Homelands.

McVaugh

Sometimes important collections come in small packages. Learn more about this incredible donation of projectile points made to the NYSM by the McVaugh family.

Educational Videos for Young Audiences

Education
Explore, Learn, and Teach: How NYSM Teacher Workshops Inspire Educators and Transform Classrooms
Education
Don Wildman Congratulates 2022 Capital Region History Day Participants
Education
People of the Longhouse: The Condolence Cane
Education
People of the Longhouse: The Haudenosaunee
Education
People of the Longhouse: Tour of the NYSM Longhouse
Education
People of the Longhouse: Tools (Part 1) Stone and Bone
Education
People of the Longhouse: Tools (Part 2) Personal Adornment and Musical Instruments
Education
People of the Longhouse: Tools (Part 3) Hunting and Gathering Resources
Education
People of the Longhouse: Wampum
Education
Kids + Craft: Birds in Winter
Education
Kids + Craft: Turkey Talk!

Art & Culture

Ethnography
Art and Photography with Shinnecock Artist Jeremy Dennis
Ethnography
Karen Ann Hoffman’s Inspiration for Creating Bernard the Buzzard Bag
Ethnography
A Closer Look: New Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Art at New York State Museum
Ethnography
Taking Care of Home Collections: Baskets and Beadwork
Ethnography
A Conversation with Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Beadwork Artist Karen Ann Hoffman
Ethnography
Onkwehowekah: Haudenosaunee Worldview and its influence on the American Women’s Suffrage Movement
Ethnography
Virtual Summer Program: Stories of New York: Stories of the Haudenosaunee
Ethnography
Field Trip to the NYSM: Artist interview - Hayden Haynes on the Art of Antler Carving
Ethnography
Field Trip to the NYSM: Teachers & Students of Native Art

Native American Archaeology

Native American Archaeology
Field Trip to the NYSM: The Oldest Artifacts in New York
Native American Archaeology
Museum Moment - Finding Evidence for Earliest Crops in New York
Native American Archaeology
Museum Moment - The Paleoindian Database Project