All activities are included with admission.

10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Arts Festival

Location: Festival tent on the museum grounds

Functional works of art created by Native peoples have long been appreciated for their craftsmanship and beauty. Contemporary Native artists continue to innovate on tradition, exploring what it means to be Native American in a contemporary American society and creating works that are imaginative and modern, as well as works that honor tribal traditions and cultures. The festival is an opportunity to purchase art directly from elite Native artists.

The Autry encourages Native youth artists and the intergenerational sharing of culture and artistic tradition. Look in the artist directory to find youth artists participating in the festival. 

10:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Meet HOPI R2

Location: Museum Plaza

Interact with HOPI R2 and meet the creators, Hopi artist Duane Koyawena and engineer Joe Mastroianni. Afterward, visit the exhibition Future Imaginaries: Indigenous Art, Fashion, Technology, which presents an intermingling of science fiction, self-determination, and Indigenous technologies across a diverse array of Native cultures.

10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Linoleum Block Printing with River Garza

Location: Festival tent on the museum grounds

Discover the art of linoleum block printing and stamp your own piece to take home using designs created by artist River Tikwi Garza (Tongva) and inspired by Tongva iconography, basket patterns, and elements of Garza’s artistic practice.

10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Family Drop-in Zone and Self-Guided Museum Tour

Location: Museum Lobby

Spend some time in the Family Drop-in Zone for hands-on learning, try your hand at the Community Weaving Loom, and pick up a self-guided museum tour to learn more about California Native peoples and art.

11:00–11:30 a.m. Waging Words of Presence! Poetry by Indigenous Women

Location: Sprague Gallery | Reclaiming El Camino: Native Resistance in the Missions and Beyond

Pamela J. Peters (Diné) presents six Native poets as they share their modern perspectives on collective cultural values and personal experiences. Each poet highlights her identity as a Native woman during this pivotal moment, offering voices filled with hope, resilience, and strength despite the challenges faced by Native communities. Their powerful words ensure Native presence is acknowledged and preserved for future generations.

Saturday poets: Megan Dorame (Tongva), Tabitha Smith (North Fork Mono Tribe), and Amber McCrary (Diné)

Sunday poets: Camaray Davalos (Payómkawichum), Solange Aguilar (Mescalero Apache, Yo'eme, and Filipinx), and Kinsale Drake (Diné)

1:00 –1:30 p.m. Wildhorse Singers and Dancers

Location: Heritage Court inside the museum

Since 1989, the Wildhorse Native American Association has assisted urban Native American children and adolescents with cultural preservation. Gather around the drum with these talented youth as they demonstrate traditional powwow dance styles and traditional songs.

2:00 –2:30 p.m. Hoop Dance Workshop

Location: Heritage Court inside the museum

The art of hoop dance honors cultural traditions from multiple Indigenous communities that first employed hoop dance as a healing ceremony. Today, hoop dance is shared as an artistic expression to celebrate and honor Indigenous traditions. Try your skills in a workshop with world champion hoop dancer Terry L. Goedel (Yakama/Tulalip).

3:00 –3:30 p.m. Wildhorse Singers and Dancers

Location: Heritage Court inside the museum

4:00 –4:30 p.m. Hoop Dancing with Terry L Goedel (Yakama/Tulalip) and n8tivehoop

Location: Heritage Court inside the museum

See an extraordinary display of artistry, athleticism, and tradition in a multigenerational performance by renowned hoop dancers from the Goedel Family. Each dancer presents their own variation of the intertribal hoop dance, weaving in aspects of tradition and culture.

10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Museum Hours

Admission includes entry to the museum's renowned exhibitions of Indigenous art and perspectives, including Future Imaginaries: Indigenous Art, Fashion, Technology; ReVOlt 1680/2180: Sirens & Sikas; and Human Nature, an exhibition exploring how traditional ecological knowledge can help current residents understand and care for our California environment.

REZ REPLAY | 15th Annual Short Play Festival—To Indigeneity and Beyond!

Location: Online viewing | Native Voices YouTube and Autry website

Available June 3–10, 2025

Missed the fifteenth Annual Short Play Festival? The recorded performance of To Indigeneity and Beyond! features eight short plays and will be available to watch for one week only.

For too long, when most people think of Native Americans, they conjure outdated images of exotic historical figures adorned in leather and feathers, trapped behind museum glass. Few recognize the beautifully vibrant culture that thrives today. For the fifteenth Annual Short Play Festival, Native playwrights boldly went where few have imagined Native people before: the future! Witness captivating tales of hope, the delightfully absurd, and the downright terrifying. Perhaps we can laugh at our future selves, recognize our humanity, and course correct to create a better future.

Subscribe to the Autry's email list to be notified when the video becomes available.

Native Voices YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NativeVoices

Some plays include adult language and sexual innuendo.