- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
Thanks to a $2.5 million grant the museum received from Lilly Endowment Inc., expressions of religion and spirituality among Native peoples and within the American West will be the focus of major projects at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art.
Lilly Endowment made the grant through its Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative. With the support, the museum will:
- Launch an exhibition about the fascinating variety of Native American tattoo practices and styles that will be on view at the Eiteljorg in late 2026 or early 2027 and then possibly travel to other museums.
Make A Donation Here
- Reinstall the artworks in the Western Art Galleries, which were last renovated in 2018.
- Continue to uphold the highest standards of caring for the Native artworks and cultural belongings that are in the museum’s collections. Having worked to build relationships with Native communities from the Great Lakes region and beyond, the Eiteljorg plans to host convenings of tribal representatives so those tribes can conduct traditional observations of their items and aid in repatriation research.
- Enhance museum guest experiences through conducting evaluation surveys and focus groups about exhibitions.
- Create a dedicated endowment that will earn investment income, from which proceeds can fund future public programs and projects related to religion and spirituality.
-
“The Eiteljorg Museum will continue to engage our audiences in the exploration of religious and cultural expressions in the American West and among the Indigenous Peoples of North America, developing a better understanding of this complex subject,” Eiteljorg President and CEO Kathryn Haigh said. “We are grateful to Lilly Endowment Inc. for generously supporting this effort that will make an impact for years to come.”
In 2019, Lilly Endowment launched the Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative. Its aim is to support museums and other cultural organizations as they strengthen their capacity to provide fair, accurate and balanced portrayals of the role religion has played and continues to play in the United States and around the world.
More Stories Like This
"Your'e No Indian" Examines the Disenrollment IssueAgua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians to Open New Exhibition: Section 14 – The Untold Story
Actor Jonathan Joss, Voice of John Redcorn, Killed in Texas Shooting
Celebrate Summer and Father’s Day at the Chickasaw Cultural Center – June 14
After 30 Years, Berkeley's Turtle Island Monument Foundation Will Be Built
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
