Celebrate Indigenous History

Indigenous Artist in Residence | Maggie Thompson

October 10-12, 9:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Greenfield Village Weaving Shop

Maggie Thompson (Fond du Lac Ojibwe) is a textile artist and designer from Minnesota. Working with both natural and synthetic materials, she derives her inspiration from family history, Ojibwe heritage and the broader Native American experience.

Curator Talk | The Land Doesn't Forget

October 12, 1:00 p.m., Museum Plaza

Join us under the DC-3 as Heather Bruegl (Oneida/Stockbridge-Munsee), The Henry Ford's curator of political and civic engagement, discusses how all the land that makes up the United States is Indigenous land. Learn about the policies that removed Indigenous Nations from their homes and pushed them onto reservations, and understand modern-day movements to regain this land.

Drum and Dance Performance | Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi

October 12, 12:45-1:00 p.m. and 1:30-2:15 p.m., Museum Plaza

This Anishinabek dance presentation by members of the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi and Pokagon Band of Potawatomi will include music, dance and conversation. Known as Keepers of the Fire, the Bodewewadmik (Potawatomi) people inhabited what is now southern Michigan, Wisconsin, northern Indiana and northern Illinois.

Guest Speaker | Rebecca Nagle: "We're Still Here: Fighting Indigenous Erasure in the Media"

November 8, 1:00 p.m., Anderson Theater

Rebecca Nagle is an award-winning journalist, citizen of the Cherokee Nation and author of By the Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land. She will speak on the lack of accurate representation of Indigenous people in the news, pop culture and public discourse; how that impacts Indigenous rights; and how ordinary people can push back.

This guest speaking event is FREE and open to the public, but registration is required. Seats are limited. Click here to find more details and RSVP.

This program is being held in partnership with the Native American Law Students Association at the University of Michigan Law School.

Artifacts in Focus | Celebrate Indigenous History

November 9, 12:00-2:00 p.m., begins in Museum Plaza

Set your own pace as you take a self-guided walk to four highlighted artifacts and dive deeper into the Indigenous stories behind them. From presidential vehicles to stagecoaches, learn how these objects represent important moments in Native American history.

Musical Performance | Huron River Flute Circle

November 9, 2:00-3:00 p.m., Museum Plaza

A flute circle is a community gathering of musicians who come together to learn and connect through the music and traditions of Native American-style flute and other instruments. The Huron River Flute Circle is based in Flat Rock, Michigan.

Tinkering for Tots | Celebrating Indigenous History

November 11, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., Drive-In Studio

Tinkering for Tots is a program designed for curious preschoolers to develop an innovative mindset. We will be Celebrating Indigenous History as we read At Our Table by Patrick Hulse, which looks at food and the diversity of tradition at this time of year. Each little learner will receive a kit to teach them how to make cornhusk dolls and learn about the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Legend of the No Face Doll.

Whose Land Are You On?

The land that is now Detroit and the area surrounding it was once home to thousands of Indigenous peoples who, more often than not, are left out of the story.

"Indian Country": The Work of Bobby "Dues" Wilson

Featured on the Hulu FX series Reservation Dogs, a map made by artist Bobby "Dues" Wilson shows the breadth of Indigenous history and knowledge still carried today.

Art Brings Awareness to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

Learn about a recent museum acquisition that brings attention to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis.