ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
The Museum of Indigenous People (MIP) is the only museum in the Greater Prescott Area devoted to the culture and art of Native people.
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Our mission is “To instill understanding and respect for the indigenous cultures of the southwest.”
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We are governed by our Board of Trustees and have three full-time employees, two additional staff, and a dedicated volunteer base. Several of our workforce are of Native heritage, and we rely on them and our Native advisors to help further our mission and vision.
The stone buildings on the campus are on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum construction was completed in 1935 by a non-Native, community-minded social group, the Smoki People, with assistance from depression-era work program participants. The museum took the name of its founders. In February 2020, the museum was renamed to best reflect the cultural resources in our holdings as well as the Native community we serve. The MIP is a venue where the Native voice is heard and appreciated!
On exhibit are pre-historic, historic, and contemporary examples of Indian cultural and artistic material from the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Our focus is to enlighten the public and broaden their knowledge of the Native cultures of this part of the world, irrespective of political boundaries.