Online Exhibits
This new permanent exhibition in the National Museum of Natural History explores the continent of Africa and its people. Drawing upon the museum's vast collections, as well as commissioned sculptures, textiles and pottery, this exhibition examines the historic diversity, dynamism and global influence of Africa's peoples and cultures.
Ainu: Spirit of a Northern People
Over the centuries, the Ainu have mainained their sense of what being Ainu means through beautiful craftsmanship, a rich oral tradition, and complex rituals. This exhibit is the first to celebrate both the contemporary expression of Ainu ethnicity and the experiences of the Ainu past.
Benedicte Wrensted: An Idaho Photographer in Focus
The remarkable photography of Benedicte Wrensted (1859-1949) lay in obscurity for decades until brought to light by the detective work of a Smithsonian anthropologist while researching photographs for the Smithsonian's Handbook of North American Indians.
Alaska Native Collections: Sharing Knowledge
The indigenous heritage of Alaska and adjacent regions is woven from the arts, knowledge, values, and beliefs of many cultures. Explore Smithsonian collections with Native tradition bearers and learn about the peoples of this northern world.
Agayuliyararput, Our Way of Making Prayer / Yu'pik Masks
During 1996, 1997 and 1998 an amazing exhibit of Southwestern Alaskan culture and art toured the United States. Developed jointly by a team of native Yup'ik people, researchers and museum professionals, Agayuliyararput or "Our Way of Making Prayer" was the first exhibit to bring Yup'ik masks and ceremonial materials to a wide audience in their native context.
Expeditions - 150 Years of Smithsonian Research in Latin America - Expeditions celebrates the Smithsonian's pioneering contribution to the study and preservation of the natural history and cultures of the Americas, and offers a window on the complex and rich relations among scientists of the hemisphere. Nearly 100 artifacts, photographs, original documents and rare books originally exhibited at the Inter-American Development Bank’s Cultural Center Gallery are presented on this bilingual site.
"What does it mean to be Alutiiq?" The answer flows from history, values, traditions, and spiritual beliefs; from the bonds of family and language; and from lives lived close to the land and sea.
![shirt](images/shirt.jpg)
Red Cloud's Manikin and His Uncle's Shirt - Examines photographs of early manikins representing Plains Indians in the Smithsonian Institution during the 1870s.
![Detail of throne](images/Busabuk_throne.jpg)
![a group of jade figures as they were excavated](images/OlmecArtifacts120.jpg)
This exhibit tells the story of a Cheyenne Indian working for the Institution between 1879 and 1881
Unmasking the Maya: the Story of Sna Jtz'ibajom
A Maya cooperative named Sna Jtz'ibajom has given a new voice to the people of Chiapas, Mexico.
Written in Stone: Inscriptions from the National Museum of Saudi Arabia - In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, inscriptions were etched, engraved, pecked, or even sometimes carved in bas-relief on stones or on the rock-faces of cliffs and hills. This online exhibit features 54 museum objects which bear examples of ancientepigraphy.
Online Exhibitions from the National Anthropological Archives
Canela Body Adornment - This exhibit features photographs of northeastern Brazil from the William H. Crocker collection.
Squint Eyes: Artist & Indian Scout
Drawing the Western Frontier: The James E. Taylor Album
![Coast of Vancouver, by Elliot](images/HenryWoodElliot.jpg)
Kiowa Drawings - This exhibit gives an extensive overview of ledger drawings by Kiowa Indians.
Selections from the Field Journal of William Duncan Strong (Honduras, 1933)
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