FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 28, 2025
MEDIA CONTACT:
Madeline Anderson
414-278-2784
andersonm@mpm.edu
MILWAUKEE PUBLIC MUSEUM CELEBRATES NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH WITH FIRST ANNUAL 3 RIVERS POWWOW, MONTH-LONG SPECIAL EVENTS AND PROGRAMS
Presented by Potawatomi Casino Hotel, November 1-30, 2025
MILWAUKEE — For the first time, Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM) is hosting a powwow to kick off special programming throughout November in celebration of Native American Heritage Month (NAHM). On Saturday, November 1, the public is invited to the first annual 3 Rivers Powwow. This free event is open to everyone and will showcase powwow drum and dance rhythms, as well as feature Indigenous foods visitors can enjoy, and Native artisans who will have items for purchase.
“Powwows are social gatherings that celebrate different tribes coming together to share their vibrant regalia, dance styles steeped in tradition, and powerful singing and drumming,” said James Flores, MPM Manager of Tribal Relations. “The 3 Rivers Powwow hosted at the Museum is an opportunity for MPM visitors to join in this celebration and support Native American community members by attending or even participating in the powwow dances, purchasing artisans’ crafts, and enjoying Indigenous cuisine, such as wild rice and an ‘Indian taco.’”
MPM is offering additional opportunities throughout the month that highlight the experiences, artistry and history of First Nations in Wisconsin and beyond. Thanks to generous support from Potawatomi Casino Hotel, NAHM programming includes special lectures, storytimes for children, curator chats, exhibit tours, a moccasin spotlight and free admission for Wisconsin Tribal members throughout November. Visitors are also encouraged to explore the Museum’s permanent Native American exhibits to learn more about the state’s 11 federally recognized tribes as well as other tribes across the U.S.
"Native American Heritage Month is a time we celebrate the diverse cultures, rich traditions, oral histories and ongoing contributions of Native Americans. Our story is one of commonalities, shared experiences of colonization but also resiliency,” Flores said. “During November, we remind ourselves and our neighbors that our story is still being written, and our heritage lives in the past, present and future."
Below is a list of all NAHM activities, programs and events going on at MPM.
Saturday, November 1
Isabel Bader Community Free Day, Presented by Bader Philanthropies
All visitors enjoy FREE admission in honor of Isabel Bader Community Free Day, which celebrates the first day of Native American Heritage Month and what would have been late Milwaukee philanthropist Isabel Bader’s 99th birthday. Isabel Bader worked as a teacher for nearly three decades, and later in life, became a strong ally of Indigenous communities, often advising Bader Philanthropies, her family’s foundation, on grants specifically focused on Tribal causes and interests in Milwaukee and Canada.
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, with the Grand Entry beginning at noon. Visitors can also shop for arts and crafts by Native artisans and check out resource tables about local waterways and Tribal organizations. This event is FREE and open to everyone.
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.
Thursday, November 6
Kohl’s Thank You Thursday
All visitors enjoy FREE admission on November 6 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.
Collections 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
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.
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-Saturdays, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Museum educators will be on the exhibit floors to engage visitors in learning opportunities and handson activities about the different Wisconsin tribes and various Indigenous foods, such as manoomin (wild rice), maple syrup and white corn.
More information about Native American Heritage Month programming at Milwaukee Public Museum can be found at mpm.edu/nahm.
About the Milwaukee Public Museum
The Milwaukee Public Museum is Wisconsin’s natural history museum, welcoming over half a million visitors annually. Located in downtown Milwaukee, the Museum was chartered in 1882, opened to the public in 1884, and currently houses more than 4 million objects in its collections. MPM has three floors of exhibits that encompass life-size dioramas, walk-through villages, world cultures, dinosaurs, a rainforest, and a live butterfly garden, as well as the Daniel M. Soref Dome Theater & Planetarium. MPM is operated by Milwaukee Public Museum, Inc., a private, non-profit company, and its facilities and collections are held in trust and supported by Milwaukee County for the benefit of the public.
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