Panel Image
Native American Heritage Month
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 explore special virtual programming, educational materials, and additional resources below.
Statewide Programs & Resources
Check out the Office of State History's comprehensive list of NAHM events, lectures, and site visits happening across New York State!
http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/research-collections/state-history/notes/2022-native-american-heritage-month-statewide-events
Featured Video
Museum Moment - The Paleoindian Database Project
Online Exhibitions & Educator Resources
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)
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)
Research & Collections
Native American Ethnography at the NYSM
Ethnography at the New York State Museum is focused on the documentation and analysis of human culture, specifically Native American culture, and explores how Native peoples lived in the past and continue to build and preserve their culture in the present.
» Explore Ethnography Research
» Explore Ethnography Collections
Research & News
Native American Archaeology
Native Americans have been present in New York for 13,000 years. Since the mid-19th century, the New York State Museum has conducted archaeological investigations that have helped to write the histories of Native Americans in the state. The Museum continues that tradition today through field- and collections-based research.
» Explore Native American Archaeology Research
» Explore Native American Archaeology Collections
Research & News
“She/Her” by Niio Perkins and Isabella Thompson
Akwesasne Mohawk
NYSM Collection
Discover more about the recent acquisitions and ancient artifacts featured in the banner above. View all »
The McVaugh Collection
Sometimes important collections come in small packages. Learn more about this incredible donation of projectile points made to the NYSM by the McVaugh family.
Virtual Programming
Educational Videos for Young Audiences
-
October 19, 2021Education
-
October 19, 2021Education
-
October 19, 2021Education
-
October 19, 2021Education
-
October 19, 2021Education
-
October 19, 2021Education
-
September 30, 2020Education
-
September 30, 2020Education
-
September 30, 2020Education
-
September 30, 2020Education
-
September 30, 2020Education
Art & Culture
-
March 7, 2022Ethnography
-
January 20, 2022Ethnography
-
April 13, 2021Ethnography
-
November 18, 2020Ethnography
-
September 14, 2020Ethnography
-
July 16, 2020Ethnography
-
June 3, 2020Ethnography
-
May 13, 2020Ethnography
Native American Archaeology
-
May 6, 2020Native American Archaeology
-
April 20, 2011Native American Archaeology
-
January 27, 2011Native American Archaeology
The New York State Museum is a program of the University of the State of New York
New York State Education Department