Navajo Nation Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1961 |
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| Location | Highway 264 and Loop Road Window Rock, Arizona 86515 |
| Type | Ethnographic, archaeological, art |
The Navajo Nation Museum is a special place in Window Rock, Arizona. It's a museum and a library all about the amazing history and culture of the Navajo people. Here, you can see cool exhibits, use a research library, and learn about programs that help keep the Navajo language alive and strong.
Contents
Exploring the Museum's Home
The Navajo Nation Museum is in a modern building in Window Rock, Arizona. This city is the capital of the Navajo Nation. You can find the museum right next to the Navajo Zoo.
Where is the Museum Located?
The museum is in the middle of the Navajo reservation. This reservation is very large, covering about 27,000 square miles. The museum is also close to the border between Arizona and New Mexico.
What Else is Inside?
The museum building is officially called the Navajo Nation Museum, Library & Visitor's Center. It also holds the Navajo Nation Library. This library has five special collections. These collections help people research history, laws, culture, and government.
The Museum's Journey Through Time
The museum started small in 1961. It was first in a little building at the Window Rock Tribal Fairgrounds. In 1982, it moved to the back of an arts and crafts store. The current, large building was built in 1997. It cost $7 million to build.
Discovering Collections and Exhibits
The museum collects many items that show the culture and history of the Navajo people. It also has some items from nearby tribes and non-Native neighbors. The museum has a huge collection of art, cultural items, and historical records.
What Can You See in the Collections?
The museum has over 40,000 photographs. It also has many documents, sound recordings, and videos. Authors and researchers often use these archives. They find historical photos for their books and studies. Most of these collections can be studied at the museum. They can also be loaned out for other exhibits.
Exciting Museum Exhibitions
The museum often creates new and interesting exhibits. Most of these are made right there at the museum. The exhibits often show art made by Navajo artists. This includes beautiful weavings.
These art shows are mixed with exhibits about history and culture. The museum is currently working on a big, long-term exhibit. This exhibit will tell the full story of Navajo culture and history.
Current Exhibits to Explore
Right now, you can see videos, photos, art, jewelry, and textiles. These items tell the story of Navajo history and culture. One exhibit describes the difficult Long Walk of the Navajo from 1864. During this time, the Navajo people were forced to leave their lands. They marched about 300 miles to a prison camp in Fort Sumner, New Mexico.
Another exhibit is called Jo' Jini'–If These Objects Could Talk. Navajo medicine men often say "jó jiní" at the end of their teachings. This means "that's what I heard" or "it was said." This exhibit shows 60 different items. These include jewelry, folk art, pottery, and historical pieces. Twenty-five different people donated these items. One special item is a flag that was flown at Fort Sumner.
The Important 1868 Treaty
In 2018, the National Archives and Records Administration loaned the museum a very important document. It was the only copy of the 1868 treaty. This treaty created the Navajo reservation. It also ended the time the Navajo were held at Fort Sumner.
Later, a second copy of the treaty was found. It was at the home of Samuel F. Tappan. He was part of the group that helped write the treaty. That copy went to the Bosque Redondo memorial. A third copy is thought to have been buried with Barboncito.
Museum Gift Shop
After seeing the exhibits, you can visit the museum's gift shop. It sells books about Navajo culture. You can also find jewelry and other items related to the museum's collections.
Fun Activities and Projects
The museum and its former director, Manuelito Wheeler, are very interested in keeping the Navajo language alive. They want more Navajo people to learn and use their language.
They worked with LucasFilm to create a Navajo-dubbed version of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. This project was finished in 2013. In 2015, they spent a whole year working with Pixar. They made a Navajo-language version of Finding Nemo.
They were very careful choosing Navajo voice actors. They also made sure the language was perfectly accurate. The film, Nemo Hádéést'íí, first showed in Albuquerque in 2016. It then played in some cities in the southwest. Navajo audiences really loved it.
Art and Education
Manuelito Wheeler has also given talks about Navajo topics. One talk was called "Navajo Identity through Global Projects." Under his leadership, the museum worked with a famous artist named Ai Weiwei. They partnered him with Navajo artist Bert Benally. Together, they created a special art piece in a remote canyon on the Navajo Nation.
