A Smithsonian Special Exhibit

February 28 through April 4, 2026

Americans, a traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street and the National Museum of the American Indian, explores how deeply intertwined American Indians are in the culture of the United States.

American Indians are less than one percent of the population, yet images of Indians are everywhere. From imagery on commercial products and professional and high school sports mascots, to classic Westerns and episodes of Seinfeld and South Park, we are surrounded by American Indian imagery. Indian names are everywhere too, from state, city, and street names to the Tomahawk missile.

Pervasive, powerful, at times demeaning, the images, names, and stories reveal the deep connection between Americans and American Indians as well as how Indians have been imbedded in unexpected ways in the history, pop culture, and identity of the United States.

The exhibition highlights the ways in which American Indians have been part of the nation’s identity since before the country began and offers a new way of understanding a few familiar events:

• Thanksgiving was a modern invention.
• Pocahontas was a key figure in the country’s founding
• The trail of Tears was a vast national project that reshaped the entire country.
• Little Bighorn was the moment when, after killing 200 American soldiers, Indians became the country’s unofficial mascots.

American surrounds visitors with images and objects from popular culture and delves into these historical events. The exhibition invites visitors to explore this complicated history and to share local stories about Native American history and culture.

Curated by Paul Chaat Smith (Comanche), Americans is based on a major exhibition at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC.

Americans was developed by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. The exhibition was adapted for travel by Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and state humanities councils across the country. Support for Museum on Main Street has been provided by the United States Congress.

In addition, “The Americans tour provides an opportunity for Kansans to tell their stories alongside a dynamic national exhibition from the Smithsonian,” said Julie Mulvihill, Humanities Kansas executive director. At the Smoky Hill Museum, we will be telling the story of the Battle of Indian Rock in conjunction with the Americans.

The Smithsonian exhibition comes to Kansas through an exclusive partnership between Humanities Kansas and the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street program.

The Kansas tour of “Americans” is made possible by support from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas Foundation and the Sunflower Foundation. Special thanks to our generous local sponsors: Dean and Debra Lewis.

About Humanities Kansas

Humanities Kansas is an independent nonprofit leading a movement of ideas. Since 1972, HK’s programming, grants, and partnerships have documented and shared stories to spark conversations and invite new insights. Together with statewide partners and supporters, HK encourages Kansans to draw on diverse histories, literatures, and cultures to create connections with one another and strengthen Kansas communities and our democracy. humanitieskansas.org.

Thanks to our generous sponsors: 

Dean & Debra Lewis