Celebrate the cultures, traditions, and contributions of Indigenous peoples from around Wisconsin and the country by visiting Milwaukee Public Museum for special events and programming, November 1-30, 2025.
Wisconsin Tribal members receive free Museum admission throughout November, thanks to generous support from Potawatomi Casino Hotel.
Special Events and Programs
SATURDAY, November 1
Join Milwaukee Public Museum as we kick off Native American Heritage Month with a special powwow event, free admission for all, and activities throughout the exhibit floors.
3 Rivers Powwow
Noon - 7 p.m.
The first annual 3 Rivers Powwow will showcase various dance styles to songs shared from different drum groups from Wisconsin. Attend the Grand Entry at noon, shop for arts and crafts by Native artisans, and visit a variety of resource tables.
This event is FREE and open to the public. You don’t have to be Native American to attend.
Isabel Bader Community Free Day
All visitors enjoy FREE admission in honor of Isabel Bader Community Free Day, which celebrates the first day of Native American Heritage Month (NAHM) and what would have been late Milwaukee philanthropist Isabel Bader’s birthday. Isabel Bader worked as a teacher for nearly three decades, and later in life, became a strong ally of Indigenous communities. Presented by Bader Philanthropies
Saturday Storytime Series: Native American Heritage
11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Families with young children (recommended for ages 3-6) can stop into our Early Learning classroom for hands-on activities and story times that celebrate Indigenous Cultures. Sessions are facilitated by MPM Educators. Storytimes will take place at selected times throughout the day.
Thursday, November 6
Kohl's Thank You Thursday
All visitors enjoy FREE admission as part of Kohl's Thank You Thursday—MPM's free admission day on the first Thursday of every month, thanks to support from Kohl's. Stop by the Second Floor to learn about Native American history, food, and artwork.
Collection Highlight: Moccasins
11 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 2-4 p.m.
MPM’s Manager of Tribal Relations James Flores (Oneida) will share his knowledge with visitors on the various construction and design styes of moccasins worn by the different Wisconsin Tribal Nations and how each pair of moccasins sheds light on each Tribal Nations’ journey.
Curator Chats
1:30-3 p.m.
MPM’s Research Curator of Cultural Sciences Dr. Aaron Atencio and Curator of Anthropology Dawn Scher Thomae will be on the Second Floor to discuss and take questions about ongoing Anthropology projects and initiatives at MPM.
thursday, november 13
Virtual Lecture - “Returning to the People: How MPM works with Indigenous groups to bring their history and ancestors home” with Dawn Scher Thomae, MPM’s Curator of Anthropology Collections
6-7:30 p.m.
The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), passed in 1990, has forever changed the way museums collect, interpret, and care for Native American items. This free, virtual lecture will provide a brief overview of the law, how MPM works with the US government and Native groups, and the ways that NAGPRA has impacted MPM’s collections, exhibits, and programs.
thursday, november 20
Science On Tap Lecture - “Our Lakes, Our Science: Underwater Archaeology in the Great Lakes" with Ashley Lemke
6-8:30 p.m.
Guest lecturer Dr. Ashley Lemke, an archaeologist and Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, will take the audience on a journey back in time and below the surface of our Great Lakes, exploring her research in Lake Huron and what it can tell us about ancient Indigenous cultures.
Saturday, November 22
Maker Series: Moccasin Workshop
Noon-4 p.m.
In this workshop, Rachel Leigh Jeske, a Certified Artisan of Hannahville Indian Community–Potawatomi, will teach participants how to make center seam-style moccasins.
This is a beginner-level workshop; no previous experience needed. Each participant will make a pattern from their own foot, cut the pattern out of leather, and construct the moccasin. No needle and thread is used—participants will punch holes and weave thin strips of leather back and forth through the holes. Participants should be prepared to take their shoes off to trace their feet and take measurements.
Cost and Reservations
$125
Cost will cover all class materials and instructions. Each participant will leave with their own pair of center-seam moccasins. Class size limited to 15 people.
Saturday Storytime Series: Native American Heritage
11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Families with young children (recommended for ages 3-6) can stop into our Early Learning classroom for hands-on activities and story times that celebrate Indigenous Cultures. Sessions are facilitated by MPM Educators. Storytimes will take place at selected times throughout the day.
Reoccurring programs
Docent Tours
Every Saturday at 1 p.m.
Led by MPM’s docents, go on a free, half-hour tour through MPM’s exhibits to explore the Indigenous foods of North America, many of which are staples in our home today. Meet at the Second Floor elevator lobby.
Education Stations
Wednesdays-Fridays, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Museum educators will be on the exhibit floors to engage visitors in learning opportunities and hands-on activities about the different Wisconsin tribes, and various Indigenous foods, such as manoomin (wild rice), maple syrup, and white corn.
Additional Resources
Download this bookmark loaded with a booklist curated by MPM education staff!
Exhibits & Collections
A Tribute to Survival
Learn more about a modern-day powwow grand-entry scene through this lifelike diorama which uses models of actual local Native people.
Southwest
Learn more about what life was like in the late 1800s and early 1900s on the Hopi reservation in Arizona. Today, the Hopi still live in their reservation lands of almost 2 million acres.
Moccasins
The Museum's collections include moccasins from the 1800s to the early 1900s from the Oneida, Menominee, Potawatomi, Ojibwe, and Ho-Chunk Nations. Explore some of the features that indicate tribal affiliation such as patterns, beadwork, construction style, and more.
Manoomin
Indigenous peoples have harvested manoomin, or wild rice, for generations. Wild rice can teach us about the relationship between humans and the environment, including how human choices can threaten natural resources. Discover how western science and Indigenous knowledge can work together to preserve wild rice for future generations.
Kwakiutl
Learn more about the Kwakiutl people, who traditionally lived along the Pacific Ocean in what is known today as British Columbia, and whose lifeways and environment are depicted in many of our Second Floor Native American exhibits.
Generous support for Native American Heritage Month provided by:
