The Plains Indian Museum

Search and View the Plains Indian Museum Digital Collection

NEW! The BBHC Art Hunt - "Hidden in the Galleries | Buffalo" Print the PDF, Visit the BBHC & Play!

Visit the Plains Indian Museum Galleries via an Online Experience.

Now On View - The Paul Dyck Plains Indian Buffalo Culture Collection Preview

The Plains Indian Museum tells the significant story of the lives of Plains Indian peoples, their cultures, traditions, values and histories, as well as the contexts of their lives today.

In the words of Plains Indian Museum Advisory Board member and Crow tribal historian Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow, the Museum is "a living, breathing place where more than just Indian objects are on display."

View the Plains Indian Museum award-winning installation (installation1 | installation2).

Since 1979 the Plains Indian Museum has been a leader in promoting public recognition of the importance of Plains Indian art due to its nationally significant collection. Curator Emma Hansen said, "Visitors to the Plains Indian Museum learn, not only about the beautiful objects made by Indian people, but the stories of the people behind the objects and the special contexts in which these objects were made and used in daily and ceremonial life."

The majority of the collection is from the early reservation period, ca. 1880-1930, and relates primarily to Northern Plains tribes, such as the Lakota, Crow, Arapaho, Shoshone, Cheyenne. The holdings also include important contemporary objects, ranging from artworks to quilts. The Resource Center features representative pieces from the Woodlands, Southwest, Northwest Coast, Arctic, and local archaeological sites.

Plains Indian Museum Events & Education Programs

The Plains Indian Museum sponsors the spectacular Plains Indian Museum Powwow held each June in the Robbie Powwow Garden at the BBHC. Dancers from all over North America come to Cody to compete for more than $25,000 in prizes.

Learn more about the styles and types of Powwow Dances.

The BBHC offers educational activities and programs relating to the Plains Indian Museum. The Plains Indian Museum Seminar in the fall brings together scholars from around the world to discuss topics relating to the cultures and art of Plains Indians.

According to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center's Code of Ethics, under no circumstance may staff members appraise objects either as part of their normal daily duty or as an independent service.

Are you interested in learning more about Plains Indian peoples? Points West Online contains interesting articles relating to the vast collections, exhibitions, programs, and activities of the Plains Indian Museum.