The majority of museums and institutions on the list that follows are operated by a Tribal Government entity, on Tribal Land. It is important to recognize this for those interested in seeing the work, as more and more of it is returned to Tribal control as the result of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), and related federal regulations for its implementation in the United States, and similar laws in Canada. The following list also includes institutions like the Burke Museum, the Heard, and the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian in the United States, and the Museum of Anthropology at The University of British Columbia in Canada, that are well known to many as venues where visitors can see work by Indigenous/Native American makers. It also includes lesser known institutions with such collections that, like them, are not operated by a Tribal Government.
Putting the list together was a volunteer effort by NBO members, drawing on information from the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Cultural Institutions, and other sources. We apologize if we have omitted or provided incorrect information for a Tribal Museum, Cultural Center, or other institution where visitors can see such work. Please contact us if that is the case so we can update the information here.
The list is organized by geographical region in the United States, then alphabetically by state within each, and by Province or Territory in Canada. Institutions that are not operated by a Tribal Government are identified by a double asterisk before its name. For each institution, Tribal-run or not, we have included its physical address, phone number, and a link to their website or FaceBook page.
Some of the listed institutions have permanent exhibits that include basketry. Some are included as part of temporary exhibits that are subject to change. Some allow visitors to see baskets in their holdings in person that are not otherwise on display, but only by prior arrangement that may take weeks or months to complete. Some are only open part of the year. Some have searchable databases with images of baskets that can be viewed online. Protocols vary widely from one sovereign Tribal Nation or other institution to the next, so it is best to learn what you can from their website, and always call ahead.
Questions? Feel free to contact us to learn more.
Index
Alaska Region – Alaska
Northwest Region – Idaho, Oregon, and Washington
Southwest Region – Arizona, California, Nevada, and New Mexico
Northern Plains Region – Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming
Southern Plains Region – Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas
Southeast Region – Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina
Eastern/Woodlands Region – Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin
Canada’s First People’s Museum and Cultural Centers – All Provinces and Territories