The loving beadwork on a Cheyenne child's moccasin, the melodic jingles on a buckskin dress, the delicate lines of a Plains ledger drawing -- even the smallest detail of Native American art can be a masterpiece. You'll see these and hundreds of other powerful pieces in this elegant museum, gracefully housed in one of the grandest Beaux-Arts buildings in the city. Walk through the magnificent Rotunda, with its elliptical 140-ton skylight and multicolored marbles, and you'll learn that everything here -- from the careful display of objects to the scheduling of storytelling programs only in the winter months -- reflects the Museum's commitment to the Native voice and respects the individual traditions of each nation.

You might be surprised to learn that more Native Americans live in New York than any other city in the United States. But after you marvel at the intricately woven Pomo baskets no bigger than your fingernail, meet young filmmakers at a premiere, dance in your seat at a Native Sounds concert, and learn to bead at a hands-on workshop, you'll begin to understand what the phrase "Native New Yorker" really means.