Indigenous Peoples Weekend at the Museum

Join us at the Museum and online to explore Native American history, culture, and their role in the American Revolution, as part of our annual Indigenous Peoples Weekend celebration, Oct. 8-10.

Traditional Haudenosaunee Dancers
Onsite (Museum Plaza) | Saturday, 11 a.m. & 2 p.m.
Join us at select times throughout Saturday as a contingent of indigenous dancers sponsored by the Oneida Indian Nation will perform traditional Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) social dances on the Museum’s outdoor plaza. Performances are free and open to the public.

Meet the Revolution: Jordan & Kehala Smith
Onsite | Saturday & Sunday, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
As part of our Meet the Revolution series, meet living history interpreters Kehala Smith (Tuscarora Nation, Turtle Clan) and Jordan Smith (Mohawk, Bear Clan), who will share stories about their culture, costuming, and traditions and engage guests in conversation about the past, present, and future of their people. They also will demonstrate and display culturally meaningful objects and materials, including woven baskets, slippery elm bark, and wampum belts.

Oneida Beadwork
Onsite | Saturday & Sunday, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Mary Homer and her daughter (both Oneida, Wolf Clan) will be onsite to display and sell their traditional Iroquois beadwork, including clothing, jewelry, purses, and more. They will also be demonstrating stitching traditional Iroquois beadwork at their table.

Discovery Cart: Two Kettles Together
Onsite | Daily
Join a Museum educator at a discovery cart featuring replica artifacts and documents to learn about Tyonajanegen (Two Kettles Together), an Oneida woman who participated in the violent Battle of Oriskany during the Saratoga Campaign.

In-Gallery 10-Minute Talk: Akiatonharónkwen (Louis Cook)
Onsite | Daily
Join a Museum educator to hear more about the life of Akiatonharónkwen, also commonly known as Louis Cook, who was one of the highest-ranking Native American officers in the Continental forces during the Revolutionary War. Born to an African American father and Abenaki Indian mother, Akiatonharónkwen fought in the French and Indian War (1754-1763) as a young man. Discover the path he chose in the Revolutionary War as British and Revolutionary leaders courted him as an ally.

Oneida Nation Gallery
Onsite | Daily
In the Museum’s core exhibition, visitors can explore an immersive multimedia gallery about the Oneida Indian Nation’s debate over whether or not to break away from the Six Nations Confederacy to support the Revolutionary cause. Listen as recreated figures representing Oneida men and women discuss the difficult choices they faced. 

Watch: The People of the Standing Stone Film
Onsite | Daily, 3:30 p.m.
The People of the Standing Stone explores the crucial but little-known history of the extraordinary contributions of one Native American people who chose to commit themselves to the Revolutionary cause when nearly all others fought on the side of the British during America’s War for Independence. The moving 25-minute film was directed by Emmy Award-winning director Ric Burns and narrated by Academy Award-winning actor Kevin Costner.

The People Between: Native Americans in a Revolutionary Era Gallery Guide
Onsite & Online | Daily
More than 250,000 Native Americans lived east of the Mississippi River during the Revolutionary era. They formed more than 80 nations and spoke dozens of languages. The decades of political turmoil and warfare that divided Great Britain and its colonies and led to the creation of the United States profoundly affected native people. Use this gallery guide to explore their stories throughout the Museum and in our Virtual Museum Tour.

Make Your Own Wampum Belt Craft
Online | Anytime
Wampum beads — purple and white beads made from seashells or (later) glass — were woven into patterns on belts to commemorate agreements between different communities of Native Americans and Europeans. Native American nations, such as the Oneida Nation, would design these belts to document what they discussed with others. This craft activity, developed in consultation with Native American advisors, will help you learn some wampum vocabulary while coloring in your own symbols and messages.

Relaxed Experience Morning
Onsite | Sunday, 9-10:30 a.m.
Experience the Museum in a calm, crowd-free environment with lower sound effects, higher light levels, no films, sensory guides, and more to create a sensory-friendly experience.