Museum of Indigenous People

The Museum of Indigenous People, formerly known as the Smoki Museum of American Indian Art and Culture, is a Native American artefact museum in Prescott, Yavapai County, Arizona. The museum was founded in part because of the efforts of Kate Cory, who gave eight of her paintings and a photograph book for its collection, and Dr. Byron Cummings of the University of Arizona, who wanted to display some of the relics digging at the time. Sharlot Hall also supplied anthropological information. The museum grew out of activities staged by a group of white Arizona citizens who enacted Native American ceremonial dances, which the Hopi people did not enjoy. The white ceremonial enactors were known as the "Smoki Tribe."

Beginning Smokis began meeting and holding ceremonial presentations in a pueblo near the current museum location in 1931. The Civilian Works Administration built the stone and log museum building in 1935 and used it as a museum. By 1990, the "Smoki Tribe" had stopped performing dances, in part owing to Hopi pressure to stop what they saw as demeaning depictions of their holy ceremonial traditions. The museum conducts educational events instead of "Smoki Tribe" performances. The museum became a non-profit organisation in 1991. It has since been added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Pottery, basketry, lithics, and beading are among the more than 2000 antiquities on display. The items range in age from the Pre-Columbian period to the present. The baskets on display at the museum

Museum Hours: Mon-Sat 10 AM - 4 PM Sun 1 PM - 4 PM

The Museum of Indigenous Peoples' purpose is to develop respect and awareness for southwest indigenous cultures. Exhibits, educational activities, and events are all supported by the generosity of our members, friends, and community groups.

We are launching a campaign to educate members and friends on the long-term benefits of establishing a gift supported by your trust, will, life insurance, or investments to help the Museum of Indigenous People (MIP). Initially, we are concentrating on significantly building our endowment fund in order to provide MIP with monthly income in the future.