through Mar 7, 2027

Stretching almost 2500 miles from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California, over half of Route 66 passes through Indian Country. Officially designated in 1926, the historic “Mother Road” ran through the tribal lands of more than twenty-five Native nations. In New Mexico, Route 66 went through or near the Pueblos of Cochiti, Santo Domingo, San Felipe, Santa Ana, Sandia, Isleta, Laguna, Acoma, and parts of the Navajo Nation. While non-Native businesses built their profits from the commercialization of the Southwest’s Indigenous cultures, tourism opened new economic opportunities for Pueblo and Diné peoples. Artists sold their pottery and jewelry from roadside stands positioned to catch the interest of highway travelers. Trading posts and other businesses purchased work directly from Native artists to sell to tourists seeking an authentic souvenir of their travels. Today, tribally owned enterprises—such as casino resorts and multi-plaza gas stations—have replaced many of the curio shops and roadside attractions that once lined the route. Pueblo communities along this historic corridor are now leading cultural tourism initiatives that support economic development and tribal autonomy while honoring their heritage and reclaiming cultural narratives.

through Jul 2, 2028

Here, Now and Always centers on the voices, perspectives, and narratives of the Indigenous peoples of the American Southwest.

This groundbreaking exhibition features more than six hundred objects from the museum’s extraordinary collection of ceramics, jewelry, paintings, fashion, and more.

through Mar 7, 2027

The stars and stripes of the American flag are found everywhere today, including on clothing, billboards, and bumper stickers. In the late nineteenth century some Native American artists began to incorporate the flag into their work. Given the United States government’s treatment of Native peoples, the flag may seem an unusual design choice. However, its use carried meaning as a survival strategy, a warrior’s mark of honor, a symbol of protection, or an emblem of resistance. 

While use of the flag in Native art is a reminder of the painful history of colonization, displacement, and oppression, it also represents the long tradition of pride in military service. From the realistic to the abstract, images of the flag can be found in traditional art forms and contemporary artistic expressions. Each generation interprets the flag to fit its own narrative as part of an ongoing dialogue about identity, sovereignty, and cultural revitalization