The Plains Indian Museum celebrates the living cultures, art, and traditions of Native peoples of the Great Plains. Through its remarkable collection, the museum honors centuries of creativity, resilience, and vision—stories that continue to shape Native communities today. From beautifully crafted garments and beadwork of the nineteenth century to contemporary works by today’s Plains artists, each piece reflects the spirit and identity of its maker. Together, these works speak of adaptation, endurance, and the deep connections between people, land, and tradition. The museum’s collection began with clothing and personal items of Native performers who traveled the world with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West shows in the late 1800s. Since then, it has grown through important private collections and modern works that continue to express the vitality of Plains cultures. More than a record of the past, the Plains Indian Museum serves as a bridge between generations—a place where memory, art, and vision come together to honor the past and inspire the future. Visitors gain a deeper understanding of the enduring strength, creativity, and spirit of Native peoples whose stories continue to define the Great Plains.
Objects in the Plains Indian Museum range from the functional trappings of every-day life to works of exquisite artistry, from historic to contemporary. Browse some highlights.
The Buffalo Bill Center of the West complies with all legal and ethical principles of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) passed by the U.S. Congress in 1990 (Public Law 601-101 and the Final Regulations, 43 CFR 10). Objects governed and defined by NAGPRA include human remains, associated and unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony. The Center recognizes its role as a caretaker of sacred and/or culturally sensitive objects and works with both federally recognized and non-federally recognized Indian Tribes and Nations of the United States to identify and repatriate cultural items defined by NAGPRA; and with Canadian First Nations to identify and repatriate cultural items described by NAGPRA under Center policies and international laws.
The Center has developed formal steps intended to guide the NAGPRA repatriation process and welcomes inquiries from Federal entities, Native American Tribes, lineal descendants, and researchers. If you would like to initiate a NAGPRA consultation, file a claim, or learn more about our NAGPRA program, please contact Interim Curator and NAGPRA coordinator Hunter Old Elk at [email protected].