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Today's Native American leaders are speaking. Come and listen.
Leave preconceptions behind and discover a living tapestry of Nations with distinct histories and unexpected identities. In Native American Voices: The People—Here and Now, a new long-term exhibition at the Penn Museum, visitors can see over 200 objects from its expansive North American Collections. The exhibition challenges common Native American stereotypes and explores the many ways in which today's Native leaders are creating and maintaining religious, political, linguistic, and artistic independence. The 2,000 square foot exhibition tells important stories of Native American successes in achieving independence as sovereign (self-governing) Nations. Through old and new objects, video and audio recordings, and digital interactive opportunities, this exhibition allows visitors to develop a new understanding of the original inhabitants of this land, as told through Native American voices.
Native American Voices: The People—Here and Now presents contemporary topics that hold importance to many Native Americans today. There are four main themes presented in the exhibition: Local Nations, Sacred Places, Continuing Celebrations, and New Initiatives. These themes are presented through the lens of several overarching topics, including language loss and revitalization, identity, representation, and on-going political activism in support of sovereignty and self-determination.
Before the arrival of Europeans, the Delaware Valley was home to the Lenape people. Many of the original Lenape families moved west to avoid Europeans, but a few remained. These people hid their true Native identities to outsiders for many years in order to survive.
"If there's a legacy, it's to make sure that our children can still call these places home."
— Tina Pierce Fragoso, Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Member, Assistant Director of Equity and Excellence, and Coordinator of Native American Recruitment, University of Pennsylvania
Sacred places hold great meaning for Native Americans. Many communities have lost access to the lands where their ancestors once lived and continue to fight for the right to access their sacred lands today.
"Native Americans are the only people in the United States who do not have a door to the courthouse to protect sacred places or site-specific ceremonies."
— Suzan Shown Harjo, Cheyenne and Hudolgee Muscogee and President of the Morningstar Institute
Native communities mark the seasons with important public celebrations that renew and strengthen their identities. These events honor long-held traditions and help pass those traditions on to the next generation.
"These events [powwows] will continue with their vigor, tradition, and change year after year, as long as there are Indian people in the world."
— George P. Horse Capture, Gros Ventre Tribal Member and former Curator, National Museum of the American Indian
Native American activism is changing government policies to support tribal self-governance and self-determination. Native Americans have made economic and social gains which are helping to maintain their identities.
"As Sovereign Nations, we have the right to govern ourselves and determine our own futures."
— John Echohawk, Pawnee Nation Member and Executive Director of the Native American Rights FundLocal Nations: (Image Courtesy of Lucy Fowler Williams) - Chief of the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribe of Bridgeton, New Jersey for over 30 years, Chief Mark Gould strives to pass on traditions to the younger generations in one of only three state-recognized tribes.
Sacred Places: (Image by bl0ndeeo2 CC BY-ND 2.0, Flickr.com) - Bear Butte Mountain, South Dakota. A sacred place to both the Cheyenne and the Lakota people, the Cheyenne know Bear Butte as Noahavose (Giving Hill), while the Lakota call it Mato Paha (Bear Mountain).
Continuing Celebrations Image: (Image Courtesy of Shutterstock) - Powwows are the best-known Native American celebrations. Originating in the Plains and Prairie, the powwow has been adopted and adapted by different Native American cultures through time. Today, honor guards of Native American veterans of US wars commonly open these celebrations.
New Intiatives: (Image Courtesy of Penn Museum, 240720) - This piece by Jason Garcia shows his fellow Santa Clara Pueblo members chatting on their cell phones while celebrating the annual religious Feast of Saint Clare of Assisi.
