Explore Native American History and Culture During Indigenous Peoples Weekend at the Museum, October 12-14

Weekend Celebration Will Include Performances by Indigenous Dancers, Hands-on Demonstrations, Crafts, and More

Celebrate Native American history and culture during the Museum of the American Revolution’s annual Indigenous Peoples Weekend celebration from Saturday, Oct. 12 – Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. The weekend will include traditional Native American dance performances, hands-on demonstrations, and other special activities for all ages.

Throughout the weekend, the Museum will be joined by members of the Delaware Tribe of Indians, who will perform traditional Lenape social dances on the Museum’s outdoor plaza. Dance performances will take place daily at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. and are free and open to the public.

Indigenous Peoples Weekend highlights:

• Lenape Social Dances | Daily at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
  Join us on the Museum’s outdoor plaza for lively performances of traditional Lenape social dances presented by members of the Delaware Tribe of Indians. Daily performances are free and open to the public.

• Meet the Revolution: Kehala and Jordan Smith | Daily from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
  As part of our Meet the Revolution series, living history interpreters Kehala Smith (Tuscarora Nation, Turtle Clan) and Jordan Smith (Mohawk, Bear Clan) 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.

• Witness to Revolution: The Unlikely Travels of Washington’s Tent Special Exhibit | Daily from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  The Museum’s current special exhibit Witness to Revolution greatly expands the story told in the Museum’s award-winning Washington's War Tent film and brings to life the stories of those who saved George Washington’s tent from being lost over time. This can’t-miss exhibition is open daily through Jan. 5, 2025, and is included with regular Museum admission.

• Revolution Place: Wampum Belt Craft | Daily from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
  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. Join a Museum educator in the Museum's family-friendly discovery center, Revolution Place, on the lower level to color your own wampum belt with your own symbols and messages. You can also make your own wampum belt at home online, any time.

• Discovery Cart: Two Kettles Together | Daily from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
  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.

• Oneida Beadwork | Daily from 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.

• Pop-Up Talks: Akiatonharónkwen (Louis Cook) | Daily from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
  Learn about Akiatonharonkwen, also 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, Akiatonharonkwen 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 | Daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  In the Museum’s core exhibition, visitors can explore an immersive multimedia gallery that recreates the Oneida Indian Nation’s debate over whether 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.

• Film Screening: The People of the Standing Stone | Daily at 3:30 p.m.
  Screening daily in Lenfest Meyer Theater, 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.

Lenape Social Dance performances are free and open to the public. All other Indigenous Peoples Weekend activities are included with regular Museum admission. The Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Our current special exhibition, Witness to Revolution: The Unlikely Travels of Washington’s Tent is open daily from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. and included with regular Museum admission. Tickets to the Museum can be purchased by calling 215.253.6731, at AmRevMuseum.org, or at the front desk. Save $2 per adult ticket by purchasing online. All tickets are valid for two consecutive days. 

Comcast NBCUniversal is the sponsor of the Museum's Native American Interpretive Program. Special thanks to the Delaware Tribe of Indians.

About Museum of the American Revolution
The Museum of the American Revolution uncovers and shares compelling stories about the diverse people and complex events that sparked America’s ongoing experiment in liberty, equality, and self-government. Through the Museum’s unmatched collection, immersive galleries, powerful theater experiences, and interactive elements, visitors gain a deeper appreciation for how this nation came to be and feel inspired to consider their role in ensuring that the promise of the American Revolution endures. Located just steps away from Independence Hall, the Museum serves as a portal to the region’s many Revolutionary sites, sparking interest, providing context, and encouraging exploration. The Museum, which opened on April 19, 2017, is a private, non-profit, and non-partisan organization. For more information, visit www.AmRevMuseum.org or call 877.740.1776.