MILWAUKEE — November is recognized as Native American Heritage Month. The Milwaukee Public Museum aims to highlight the traditions and cultures of Indigenous peoples from around Wisconsin and the country.
There is a permanent exhibit that lives at the museum. However, there will be additional resources during the month of November to celebrate and honor Native people.
“It’s a time where we can reflect and celebrate on the contributions that Native people have made” Milwaukee Public Museum Tribal Liaison, James Flores, explains.
Flores is a tribal member of the Oneida Nation. He says this month highlights some of the differences among the tribes.
“There were many nations, and different cultures and customs and I think the museum is a great way to highlight that, Flores explains.
Flores says the exhibit does just that. Visitors can walk through multiple displays of what life was like then and now for the native people.
“We are really collaborating with tribal members on how these stories are being told in our museums.”
The exhibit, “A Tribute to Survival”, takes visitors to a modern-day Powwow. A tradition that still happens today. It was built in the 1990’s, and it used models of actual local native people.
Flores said one of his cousins is depicted in the exhibit. “My cousin is in the jingle dress with the purple and the blue.”
Flores says this month and this exhibit is a good reminder that native people are still here.
“Remembering that we are still here, we are not people of the past," Flores said. "We are museum professionals, we are doctors, we are artists, teachers, construction workers and the list goes on.”
To help visitors better understand the tribal nations, the museum added some extra educational opportunities.
“Some of the topics, some of the subjects from behind museum cases, behind museum glass, are kind of out [now] so people can enjoy and interact in a different way,” museum educator Stephen Petrie explains.
He says he is able to interact with visitors more and give a hands-on experience.
The museum has a special virtual event this Thursday planned as well.
The event will be held on Thursday, November 9th from 6:30 – 8:00 PM and is called "Returning to the People: How the MPM works with Indigenous groups to bring their history and ancestors home” by Dawn Scher Thomae, MPM Curator of Anthropology Collections.
The link to register can be found here.
With programming throughout the month, Flores hopes this sparks conversation outside of the museum walls. “Being an ally, help create space to uplift indigenous voices, and join us in our celebrations. Powwows are open to the public.”
Museum admission is free for Wisconsin tribal members all month long.
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