We Are!

 This family-friendly exhibit, a celebration of Arizona’s Native cultures, is the only gallery display in the state to include all 22 of Arizona’s federally recognized tribal communities. Arizona tribal community members provided valuable insight during the creation of the exhibit. In their own voices, Arizona’s Native cultures explain their histories, cultures and futures.

During the exhibit’s development, discussions with tribal representatives revealed that despite diverse opinions and different lifestyles, clear issues emerged that every tribe deemed important. These issues include language and passing along traditions to the next generation, the deep ties with the land and how the past links to today, especially history from the 1860s to the present day. We Are! explores these issues and how the lives of Native people in Arizona have changed in that time.

Kids will love the hands-on activities, which include crafting a Yavapai burden basket, making a colorful Yaqui paper flower and braiding a Hopi belt. Also included in the exhibit is, “Fear of a Red Planet: Relocation and Removal 2000,” the compelling mural painted by Navajo/Laguna Pueblo artist Steven Yazzie.