“Americans”

The South Dakota Humanities Council is bringing Americans, a Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition to the Aktá Lakota Museum for an exclusive tour in 2026!

Based on a major exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC, Americans explores how deeply intertwined American Indians are in the culture of the United States.

American Indians are less than 1% of the population, yet images of Indians are everywhere.  American Indian images, names, and stories infuse American history and contemporary life. Pervasive, powerful, at times demeaning, the images, names, and stories reveal how Indians have been embedded in unexpected ways in the history, pop culture, and identity of the United States.

Americans surrounds visitors with images and objects from popular culture and delves into these historical events.  The exhibition invites visitors to explore this complicated history and to share local stories about Native American history, culture and identity.

South Dakota Host and Partner Sites.
September 12 – October 31, 2026 – SDSU Briggs Library, Brookings
November 7, 2026 – January 9, 2027 – Aktá Lakota Museum, St. Joseph’s Indian School, Chamberlain
January 16 – March 6, 2027 – The Heritage Center, Red Cloud Indian School, Pine Ridge
March 13 – May 1, 2027 – AH Brown Library, Scherr Howe Event Center, Mobridge
May 8 – June 26, 2027 – W.H. Over Museum, USD, Vermillion