Native American Heritage Month

This LibGuide from the University of Illinois provides information on Indigenous artists & architects and links to resources such as books, websites, and articles. The guide is organized primarily alphabetically by last name rather than by medium.

The Eiteljorg has taken the initiative to change the way museums typically tell Native Americans’ stories by creating a space for the peoples themselves to tell their own stories. The capstone phase of Project 2021 was the complete reconstruction of the second floor Native American Galleries, showcasing Native art in a modern space. The galleries provide a contextual experience organized around the themes of relation, continuation, and innovation, demonstrating the continuum of Native art.

The Native American Audio Project aims to highlight the history of commercially recorded Indigenous music within the United States and surrounding areas.

The Native American Music Awards & Association (N.A.M.A.) celebrates the rich cultural heritage of our nation’s first people and promotes cultural preservation and renewal on a national level through new music initiatives. We aim to raise the awareness level and appreciation of Native American culture to the public at large, both nationally and internationally.

The Native Drums web project is a diverse dialogue on culture, history and traditional knowledge with Indigenous cultural partners, educational institutions, government and private industry. Centred around the central themes of drums and music of Canadian First Peoples , Native Drums traces the history, mythology, and significance of the drum in traditional societies of Canada’s Eastern Woodlands, compared with Western Coastal regions in terms of history, arts and culture.

Dancing Earth creates contemporary dance and related arts through global-Indigenous and intercultural relationships centered in ecological and cultural diversity for creativity, health, and wellness.Artists from more than 28 global First Nations have co-created with Dancing Earth, including inter-tribal and international collaborating artists.

Indigenous Cultures Institute offers performances for celebrations, educational events and other functions. They collaborate with professional Native American performers and provide them with referrals from presenters and producers who request their services.

The Pokégenek Bodéwadmik (Pokagon Band of Potawatomi), who received a small portion of their land back in South Bend in 2016 (166 acres out of 5.2 million acres ceded), feature different contemporary dance categories at their pow wows. They invite all to respectfully attend and learn about Potawatomi culture at their Kee Boon Mein Kaa Pow Wow (hosted annually).

NNDT is a non-profit organization touring dance company that was developed for the purpose of educating everyone about the existence of Native American artists in their community. NNDT performers present interactive educational productions. They present and teach hands on activities in classrooms/auditoriums including: craft workshops, dance workshops, hand drumming, singing, social dances, story telling, history, speaking engagements, lecture demonstrations, theatrical productions and mini powwows (specifically designed for school presentations).