TRIBAL MUSEUMS DAY CENTERS DIVERSE NATIVE HISTORIES, CULTURES AND LIFEWAYS

TURTLE ISLAND, November 20, 2023 – The Association on American Indian Affairs (the Association) is excited to announce the second annual Tribal Museums Day beginning Saturday, December 2, 2023, with a live streaming event to kick off a weeklong celebration from December 2 to 9.

Native American history and culture can never be understood without perspectives of the original peoples of Turtle Island. Over 100 Tribal Museums and Cultural Centers provide significant educational opportunities for the public by sharing wisdom and stories that are told by the experts themselves - Native Elders, academics, researchers and citizens. Each Tribal Museum has a unique story to share. Not only can visitors learn more about local histories and Native cultures, but they can also purchase art, books, food and other Native-made goods at Tribal Museums.

"Tribal Museums Day is a great way to bring more people through the door and change more hearts and minds about the diverse histories, cultures and lifeways of Native Peoples," said Shannon O'Loughlin (Choctaw) CEO and Attorney for the Association. "By creating special events like this, we re-educate the public (and our own People) about how our Nations stand as the primary authorities about our diverse histories, knowledge, cultures, lifeways and values."

Some participating museums include Navajo Nation Museum and Visitors Center in Arizona, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Museum in Oregon and the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma. Tribal Museums and Cultural Centers may be offering free or discounted admission, special exhibits, live cultural demonstrations, gift shop discounts, art markets and more.

For those without an opportunity to visit in-person, the Association is hosting a live streaming event on Saturday, December 2 at 2 p.m. CT from the Hoċokata Ṫi, the Museum and Cultural Center of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, and emceed by Shannon Martin, Match-E-B-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians. Tune in to the Association's YouTube channel or Facebook page to watch live interviews with wisdom keepers from Tribal Museums and Cultural Centers across Native Country.

Event partners include the National Museum of the American Indian, Native News Online, and National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers among others. For more information about visiting a Tribal Museum or tuning in to the live streaming event, visit Indian-Affairs.org.