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Woodland Indian music has been an integral part of the daily lives of Woodland Indians.

Songs accompanied ceremonies for the dead, preparations for war, nearly all the games, and were essential in treating the sick. For the observance of the Midewiwin rites, the songs were as important as the spiritual leaders themselves because there could be no rituals without the appropriate songs. Many songs were inspired by dreams either during an individual's vision quest or later in his life.

A world-class team has been assembled to design and construct the Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin.

Unique to this particular project, the full team has been collaborating since the beginning, building on the ideas and expertise of each team member and each firm. The team kicked off the project with a tour of Wisconsin, which proved to be instrumental to grounding the project in the natural wonders and diverse cultures found across the state.

Cosmic Curiosities

“Every book is its own black hole. Don’t fight the pull; find out where it takes you.”
- Richelle E. Goodrich, American Writer

Shedding Light on the Black Hole

The Ojibwe are an Algonkian-speaking tribe and constitute the largest Indian group north of Mexico.

The Ojibwe stretch from present-day Ontario in eastern Canada all the way into Montana. Oral traditions of the Ojibwe, Ottawa, and Potawatomi assert that at one time all three tribes were one people who lived at the Straits of Mackinac. From there, they split off into three different groups. Linguistic, archaeological, and historical evidence suggests that the three tribes do indeed descend from a common ethnic origin.

Ojibwe Culture

The Ojibwe speak a language of the Algonkian language family and constitute the largest Indian group north of Mexico. Their extensive pre-contact territory in Canada was mainly north of Lakes Superior and Huron. During historic times, they spread west and south and, today, numerous Ojibwe bands stretch from present-day Ontario in eastern Canada all the way into Montana.

Oneida Culture

The Oneida Tribe are members of the League of the Iroquois, a confederacy of the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, and Mohawk based on mutual non-aggression. At a later date, the Tuscarora joined the Confederacy. The Oneida’s traditional territory is in upstate New York. The Oneida refer to themselves as Oneyoteaka, "People of the Standing Stone." According to Oneida traditions, there was always a large, red boulder near the main Oneida village.

Cosmic Curiosities

“When you reach for the stars, you may not quite get them,
but you won't come up with a handful of mud either."
- Leo Burnett, American Advertising Executive

Average Star?

MPM's Photograph Collection serves as visual record of the history of the Milwaukee Public Museum.

Most of the estimated 300,000 images in the collection were taken by Museum staff and record the work of the Museum -– its collections, research, exhibitions, and activities. Images from the collection increase awareness of the Museum and are used in exhibits, textbooks, journals, and electronic media.

Cosmic Curiosities

“That once a year, by hand or apparatus