Experience the rich history and culture of Native America at these 10 Indigenous sites this summer.
Native America is diverse with distinct cultures observed by hundreds of federally recognized tribes. This diversity also extends to travel destinations. Across North America, Indigenous sites and attractions reflect the rich history associated with the continent’s first inhabitants.
The July 2024 issue of C&I includes tips for travelers who want to explore Native American heritage sites respectfully and appropriately observe the rules and cultural traditions. Read on for 10 worthwhile travel explorations:
Mesa Verde National Park
WHERE: Mesa Verde, Colorado
WHAT: Established in 1906, this 52,121-acre southwest Colorado park is internationally known for its well-preserved Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings built hundreds of years ago on mesas and inside sandstone canyon alcoves.
ALSO SEE: Visitors can get eyefuls of exhibits on ancient Native culture at The Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum and mesa and rock carvings on Petroglyph Point Trail. Top Loop Road winds past archaeological sites and overlooks, including Sun Point Overlook, which has panoramic canyon views. Camping is allowed only in a designated campground. Drones are illegal. Hiking is allowed on designated trails, but off-trail hiking is forbidden.
TICKETS, ETC.: home.nps.gov/meve. 970.529.4465
PHOTOGRAPHY: © David Muench/CORBIS
National Museum of the American Indian
WHERE: Washington, D.C., and New York
WHAT: Together, the museums are the Smithsonian Institution’s national repository of 12,000 years of history across more than 1,200 Indigenous cultures. The D.C. location, the headquarters, is on the National Mall. The New York location, an extension also referred to as the George Gustav Heye Center, is at the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House at 1 Bowling Green. The D.C. museum offers a full calendar of public programs, including concerts, festivals, symposiums, theater, and one-of-a-kind temporary exhibitions; also not to be missed are the Mitsitam Native Foods Café and the Espresso Bar for more Native-inspired food options.
TICKETS, ETC.: americanindian.si.edu. 888.618.0572
Taos Pueblo
WHERE: Taos, New Mexico
WHAT: In northern New Mexico’s Sangre de Cristo foothills, Taos Pueblo is a settlement of adobe dwellings and ceremonial buildings that dates to the late-13th century.
ALSO SEE: It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Historic Landmark open to the public for guided walking tours, shopping, and Native cuisine. A guided horseback ride provided by Taos Indian Horse Ranch takes visitors closer to the reservation’s natural scenery. According to the New Mexico Tourism Department, photographs and recordings are prohibited at religious ceremonies. Also, silence is mandatory during all dances and Pueblo ceremonies.
TICKETS, ETC.: taospueblo.com. 575.758.1028
PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy New Mexico Tourism Department
Pine Ridge Reservation
WHERE: Pine Ridge Agency, South Dakota
WHAT: Guss Yellow Hair and his daughter Tianna Yellow Hair wanted to show visitors that the Pine Ridge Reservation is more than tales of extreme poverty. So, they made it a family affair with Tatanka Rez Tourz. Their guided tours are dedicated to sharing the history, culture, and demographics of the Oglala Lakota Oyate.
ALSO SEE: Three tour packages, all catered for visitors’ interests, are offered. One includes a tour of the reservation, a short drive into the Badlands with a flora-and-fauna talk. Another has a Black Hills outing to educate visitors about the connection between the Black Hills grasslands and Lakota people. Another tour includes a visit to the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre.
TICKETS, ETC.: tatankareztourz.com. 605.454.0597
Heard Museum
WHERE: Phoenix, Arizona
WHAT: Founded in 1929, the museum has gained an international reputation for its Native American art, from traditional artworks to contemporary creations, live events, and a highly regarded museum shop and café. The museum has tens of thousands of art objects, including Navajo textiles, Zuni jewelry, and contemporary Indian art. The museum’s exciting World Championship Hoop Dance Contest and renowned Indian Fair & Market draw people from around the country.
TICKETS, ETC.: heard.org. 602.252.8840
Crow Fair
WHERE: Crow Agency, Montana
WHAT: Each August, the Crow Fair becomes the largest modern-day Native American encampment in the nation, and typically the year's largest gathering for the Apsaalooké (or Crow) Nation. As Alan Three Irons wrote in C&I in 2023: “It is a time to reconnect with family and friends, some of whom make the trek clear across the country.” This year's 105th celebration boasts traditional regalia everywhere and nearly 1,500 teepees pitched on the banks of the Little Big Horn River. Events include daily parades, evening powwows, all-Indian rodeos, relay horse races, and the closing Dance Through Camp.
TICKETS, ETC.: crow-nsn.gov/crow-fair.html. 406.638.1447
PHOTOGRAPHY: Chris Douglas
Totem Bight State Historical Park
WHERE: Ketchikan, Alaska
WHAT: This southeast Alaska park features one of the world's largest collections of totem poles associated with Tlingit and Haida culture. The poles rise among the park’s spruce and cedar trees, carved to replicate and interpret original 19th-century versions that were deteriorating in abandoned villages. Also in Ketchikan is the Totem Heritage Center museum with its own collection of indoor totem poles.
TICKETS, ETC.: dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspunits/southeast/totembigshp.htm. 907.269.8400
Dignity: Of Earth and Sky
WHERE: Chamberlain, South Dakota
WHAT: Designed by sculptor Dale Lamphere, the 50-foot-tall fabricated stainless steel statue — just off Interstate 90 on the east bluff of the Missouri River — honors the cultures of the Lakota and Dakota people the cultures of the Lakota and Dakota people. During the day, the South Dakota wind brushes the 128 color-changing diamonds in the quilt of the monumental Indigenous woman, causing blue shades to twinkle in the sunlight. At night, LED lights cause the diamonds to illuminate the dark sky.
TICKETS, ETC.: travelsouthdakota.com/trip-ideas/story/dignity-earth-sky. 605.773.3301
PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy Travel South Dakota
Crazy Horse Memorial
WHERE: Crazy Horse, South Dakota
WHAT: Located in the Black Hills, the memorial is the world’s largest mountain carving in progress. It is made of pegmatite granite and was chosen by sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski and Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear. Admission to the memorial includes access to three museums, an orientation film, viewing of the sculpture from the veranda and the wall of windows, and scheduled cultural programming.
TICKETS, ETC.: crazyhorsememorial.org. 605.673.4681
PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy Crazy Horse Memorial
Lodgepole Gallery and Tipi Village
WHERE: Browning, Montana
WHAT: This destination is a place of gathering for those interested in an authentic venture into the life of the Blackfeet Nation. At Lodgepole Gallery, Blackfeet artist Darrell Norman treats visitors to history and his tribe's customs on his reservation tours of Lodgepole Gallery and Tipi Village. Visitors also can stay overnight at the Tipi Village, an encampment of 11 teepees and two cabins.
TICKETS, ETC.: blackfeetculturecamp.com. 406.338.2787