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Mugwort, a powerful plant used by local tribes as a smudge and for medicinal purposes.

Dear MAI Community, Educators and Members,

The Museum of the American Indian is saddened by the need to temporarily close due to the COVID-19 pandemic facing the Nation right now. We know it is the right choice to protect our community and maintain the health and safety of our visitors and staff. As of right now, the Museum staff and Board members have decided it will be best to remain closed throughout the summer. We are hoping for the best and that by the fall the museum will be able to open in a limited capacity. However, we are also aware that there is so much uncertainty right now and we need to take it day by day. We want to continue to be a resource for you all by sharing our knowledge and providing a resource in Marin to learn about American Indian culture. Please keep checking our website, Facebook and Instagram pages for updates. We are working on some interesting online resources. During these times it is good to focus on the natural world around us and reach out to our loved ones.
2020 Trade Feast Postponed
Out of an abundance of caution and concern, we are postponing our 2020 Trade Feast until the spring of 2021. A new date will be picked in the coming month. Too much planning and work goes into these events for us to gamble on this unknown. We don’t want anyone exposed to COVID-19 by any event we undertake, and we know everyone won’t be tested by then.
Educators and Families Homeschooling
American Indians have survived through great struggles since colonization and endure by adaptation in a communal spirit. Check out how some American Indian communities are responding to the COVID 19 pandemic through art, creativity, traditions and dance: We hope that you are healthy and safe during these challenging times. Sadly, we have had to cancel many of our school programs and close our museum. It is disappointing that we are unable to share our knowledge and Native perspectives with our community. We thought it might be helpful to share some links to educational resources. Many American Indian communities are offering up excellent resources online. We feel fortunate to be able to share some of them with you. Please consider supporting some of these great organizations and artists when accessing these sites: These are links for Indigenous coloring pages by American Indian artists that can be fun for all ages: We also highly recommend consulting and using these excellent workout videos that are great for the whole family: More interesting and related information is available here:
Message from the Interim Executive Director, Victoria (Tory) Canby
For Indigenous communities all over the Americas the COVID-19 pandemic has hit hard. Many of these communities are impoverished and struggling with other complicating issues like lack of clean water, no running water or no electricity. One area that has been hit particularly hard is the Diné (Navajo) Nation. Over 27,000 square miles, the reservation has 4 hospital units accessible with the largest in Gallup that has only 6 ICU rooms. The Diné has over 1,300 positive COVID 19 cases and over 45 deaths. The number of cases and deaths on the reservation is larger than in some entire states in the US. Many Diné families live in remote areas with limited access to current or accurate information. Resources like laundromats, gas stations and grocery stores are often far from their remote homes. The community members most at risk are the elders, our knowledge holders. As a member of the Diné tribe, it is very challenging to hear of such devastation and struggle while so far from my people. There are ways to help if you can. Please consider giving whatever you can afford to support them, and if you can’t, please keep the Diné Nation and all other Indigenous communities in the Americas in your prayers.

Here are two options for supporting the Diné Nation:
Tory with her aunt Mary, her granddaughters Maria and Erica and Tory's son at her home on the Diné reservation. Mary is an amazing weaver and taught Tory to weave on a traditional Diné loom. 
Our Mission
Through the creation of this museum and education center 50 years ago, the Museum of the American Indian continues to serve the general community with our ongoing efforts to collect, conserve, research, exhibit and explain cultural and ethnographic materials, as well as other information related to Native American peoples.

The Museum offers programs for elementary schools that explore the history and culture of Native Americans of California and other regions of the country. These programs fulfill the State of California curriculum for social studies. The Museum promotes accuracy, sensitivity, and respect for the heritage and history of our continent’s earliest inhabitants.
Donate Today
Donate today to assist MAI. Join it's mission to preserve the history and culture of American Indians through exhibits and through ongoing educational programs. Your generosity is appreciated and will have a direct and lasting impact on the future of the Museum. Thank you for your support!
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Museum of the American Indian · 2200 Novato Blvd · Novato, CA 94947-2079 · USA