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About Us
The Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center, an educational outreach of St. Joseph’s Indian School, is committed to promoting the knowledge and understanding of the Northern Plains Indian Culture past, present and future, through the preservation of historical artifacts and contemporary works of art. Read more »
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Artist Biographies
Want to learn about the Native American artists? Read more »
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44th Annual Powwow
As an outreach program of St. Joseph's Indian School, the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center will be offering cultural activities with our 44th Annual American Indian Day & Powwow Celebration. Read more »
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Gift Shop
The Akta Lakota Museum offers a wide selction of unique, Indian made, items for purchase. All sales are used to fund programs for the Lakota children in our care at St. Joseph's Indian School. Shop our store »
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Historical Center
St. Joseph's Indian School's Alumni & Historical Center was dedicated in May 2013.
Tokéya uŋkí nájiŋpi (We Stood Here in the Beginning) will preserve the memories of St. Joseph’s Indian School and share accomplishments of the students, religious staff and benefactors. Read more » -
Speak Lakota
We invite you to learn basic phrases and words of the Lakota language with the students at St. Joseph's Indian School. Read more »
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Need Directions?
Planning a road trip to the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center? Take a look at these driving directions »
On exhibit now
Iyáčhiŋ
Iyáčhiŋ is Lakota for compare. In this exhibit the pieces are hung in pairs encouraging a natural tendency to compare and contrast as a means of understanding. Iyáčhiŋ features artwork exclusively from the Aktá Lakota Museum’s permanent collection. Iyáčhiŋ will be on display through May 22, 2020.
Opening in May
The Gift
The Gift, developed by the Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies (CAIRNS) is based on the traditional Lakota narrative of the coming of the White Buffalo Woman who gave a sacred pipe to the Lakota people.
The exhibit centers on the seven sacred Lakota ceremonies — ‘gifts’ — that Black Elk says were foretold by the White Buffalo Woman.
- Hanbleceya — Vision Quest
- Hunkapi — Making Relatives
- Inipi — Purification
- Isnati Awicalowan — Preparing for Womanhood
- Tapa Wankayeyapi — Throwing the Ball
- Wanagi Yuhapi — Keeping a Ghost
- Wiwanyang Wacipi — Sun Dance
Each gift is interpreted by an artwork, a poem and a song created by Lakota artists, poets and musicians and presented together with the text of each ‘gift’.
The exhibit opens at the Aktá Lakota Museum on May 25 and runs through November 2020 with an opening reception and gallery talk on Saturday, June 13 from 2:00-5:00 pm.
Coming this Fall
Wakaŋ Takaŋ
The words and images we use to communicate differ between cultures and change from generation to generation. Wakaŋ Takaŋ explores how a culture’s most important messages find a way to resist being forgotten. Wakaŋ Takaŋ, a contemporary version of the (Lakota) creation story is a collaborative exhibit featuring the MFA thesis work of Keith Braveheart, Oglala Lakota and historical objects from the Aktá Lakota Museum. In displaying Braveheart’s larger than life paintings alongside historical items, we are reminded that faith and culture stand together.
