Voices of the Plains
2025-07-24 - 2026-06-12 | Aktá Lakota Museum, St. Joseph's Indian School, Chamberlain, SD, 57325, United States
This exhibit features artwork from the Aktá Lakota Museum’s permanent collection, highlighting the creativity and resilience of artists connected to the Plains. Through a diverse range of styles, media, and generations, Voices of the Plains celebrates the depth and vibrancy of Native expression. The exhibition also reflects the museum’s ongoing commitment to honoring Indigenous voices and expanding its evolving collection.
Curated by David A. Meyer II
Featured artwork: Pride of the Prairie (c) 2017 by Alfreda Beartrack-Algeo, Lakota

Opening July 2026
2026-07-01 - 2026-10-31
Modernity Meets Tradition: Real Tradish explores the intersection of modernity and traditional Lakota ways. The exhibit features work that bridges past and present—through the application of traditional techniques and symbolism, to modern materials, themes, and imagery. Together, these pieces affirm that Lakota traditions are not gone; they are living practices that continue to adapt, endure, and thrive in the 21st century.
Curated by Casey WalshFeatured artwork: Untitled – Self Portrait (c. 1988), Daniel Long Soldier (Oglala Lakota)

"Americans"
2026-11-07 08:00 - 2027-01-07 16:30 (America/North_Dakota/Center)
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
