Museum of Indian Culture

05/29/2026

Flintknapping Demonstration
Saturday May 30th 10 AM to 4 PM
at The Museum of Indian Culture

So, what is Flintknapping? ….

Flintknapping is the process of reducing large cores of raw stone in a controlled manner with special tools to produce sharp projectile points or tools. Natives of North America have produced some of the finest flint and jasper projectiles and blades in the world. These Indigenous artists are the inspiration for modern day flintknappers.

Now is your chance to see how this highly specialized process works. Flintknapping veteran Rich Poirier will demonstrate this process of using percussion flaking techniques to make a biface or arrowhead from raw flint.

Museum Hours:
Friday-Sunday 10 AM to 4 PM
Museum of Indian Culture
2825 Fish Hatchery Road
Allentown PA

05/22/2026

This Memorial Day Weekend, we honor the courage, sacrifice, and patriotism of all who served our nation — including the remarkable Code Talkers of WWI and WWII. Native American speakers of several tribes, including the Cherokee, Choctaw, Lakota, Comanche, Hopi, Meskwaki, and Navajo used their languages to encrypt battlefield messages. The best known are the Navajo Code Talkers of WWII featured in the movie “Windtalkers.”

The Navajo Code Talkers played a critical role in helping the United States win WWII. Using their fluency in the Navajo language and a specially developed two-layered code, they created one of the most secure communication systems in military history. Their messages could be transmitted in seconds, while enemy forces were unable to decipher them. The Navajo Code Talkers memorized “more than 800 terms” and “could send a four-line message in 20 seconds” when “a standard coding machine took 30 minutes.”

On the battlefield, these brave men became a lifeline for the Marines, helping deliver critical information about medicine, ammunition, food, and battle plans. Their dedication and accuracy saved countless lives and gave American forces a major advantage during some of the war’s toughest battles, including Iwo Jima. An officer said, “the entire operation was directed by Navajo code.”

Even after returning home, many Navajo Code Talkers faced hardship, discrimination, and lack of recognition for years because their mission remained classified. Today, we proudly recognize them as American heroes whose bravery crossed all boundaries of language and culture.

This Memorial Day Weekend, we would like to invite you to The Museum of Indian Culture as we remember and honor their service, sacrifice, and lasting legacy.

For more information on the Navajo Code Talkers: https://nnva.navajo-nsn.gov/Navajo-Code-Talker

Museum Hours:
Friday – Sunday 10 AM to 4 PM
Museum of Indian Culture
2825 Fish Hatchery Road
Allentown PA

05/10/2026

This Mother’s Day, we honor the strength, wisdom, and resilience of Native American mothers — the women who have carried generations of culture, identity, and community forward through both triumph and hardship.

For countless generations, Indigenous mothers stood at the heart of family and tribal life. They were caregivers, teachers, farmers, healers, artists, and protectors of tradition. Through stories, songs, language, ceremony, and daily life, they ensured that each new generation knew who they were and where they came from. Even through colonization, forced relocation, boarding schools, and attempts to erase Indigenous identity, Native mothers, grandmothers, and aunties preserved culture with extraordinary courage. Their love and determination kept traditions alive when so much was under attack.

Today, Native mothers continue that legacy — leading in their communities as educators, artists, advocates, health professionals, leaders, and culture bearers while continuing to nurture future generations with strength and pride.

On this Mother’s Day, we celebrate Native American mothers past and present for their enduring role in protecting culture, preserving identity, and shaping the future of their communities.

We would like to invite you to celebrate Mother’s Day with us at The Museum of Indian Culture as we honor the enduring legacy of Native mothers and families.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers, grandmothers, aunties, and caregivers whose love continues to guide generations. ❤️

Museum Hours:
Friday - Sunday 10 AM to 4 PM
Museum of Indian Culture
2825 Fish Hatchery Road
Allentown PA

05/06/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us this past Saturday for the opening of our Native American Beadwork exhibit! We were honored to welcome so many visitors to celebrate the artistry, history, and cultural significance of this vibrant tradition.
✨A special thank you goes to Joy Tonepahhote for her engaging live loom beadwork demonstration throughout the day. Guests had a unique opportunity to witness her creative process firsthand and gain insight into both traditional techniques and contemporary expression. Joy’s work continues to inspire with its blend of cultural storytelling and modern influences, and we are grateful she shared her time and talent with our community.
✨If you weren't able to attend the opening, we invite you to visit the exhibit in the coming weeks to experience the intricate craftsmanship and powerful narratives woven into each piece. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Museum hours:
Friday thru Sunday 10 am to 4 pm.

Museum of Indian Culture
2825 Fish Hatchery Road
Allentown, PA

05/01/2026

New Exhibit Opening: Native American Beadwork

Join us this Saturday, May 2nd, for the opening of our new exhibit celebrating the artistry and cultural significance of Native American beadwork.

Special Demonstration
Enjoy a live loom beadwork demonstration by Joy TonePahHote from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Come experience the intricate craftsmanship and learn more about this vibrant tradition!

Joy TonePahHote's beadwork is highly sought after across Native communities in North America, from personal adornment to powwow regalia. A contemporary artist, she blends popular culture imagery with modern material to create imaginative, affordable pieces that reflect the lives and aspirations of Native people today.
For more about Joy, click here for more information: https://issuu.com/drexelwestphal/docs/gray_neutral_minimalist_travel_magazine

"Museum of Indian Culture" oldest Native American heritage museum in Pennsylvania nestled in the Lehigh Parkway offering guided tours and educational programs.

04/15/2026

Loom Beadwork Demonstration presented by Joy Tonepahhote - Saturday, May 2, 2026 from 10 am - 4 pm

This demonstration will coincide with the grand opening of our new exhibit Native American Beadwork

Native American beadwork, like quillwork before it, is a decorative art form. Almost as soon as seed beads were available, Native women invented techniques for using them.

Joy Tonepahhote is a contemporary beadworker from the Kiowa Tribe of Anadarko, Oklahoma and the Guaymi Maya people of Conquito, Panama. She comes from a respected lineage of Southern Plains bead artists (her grandmother was Massalena Ahtone) and combines her deep iconographic knowledge of Plains culture with U.S. pop culture imagery and materials. Joy is an artist who is deeply informed about contemporary social and economic inequalities, especially through her career in social service, and is committed to making affordable objects for Native people, as personal adornment and powwow regalia. Her work has been shown in many cultural institutions, including the Hayes Center of the Smithsonian, the Indian City USA Cultural Center, and is currently on display at the Museum of Indian Culture.

04/09/2026

✨ New Exhibit - Native American Beadwork: Evolution, Trade & Artistry

Discover the history and the evolving art form of Native American Beadwork: Evolution, Economics & Artistry, a new exhibit at the Museum of Indian Culture opening on May 2, 2026.

The exhibit traces the progression of imported glass beads as a medium of trade, artistic expression, and identity for indigenous peoples throughout North America. It features early trade beads, beaded bags and moccasins, Ute child’s cradleboards, Iroquois raised beadwork, beaded fetishes and other works of art dating from circa 1800 to the present. This exhibit also examines the importance of Native American wampum, shell beads, and its impact on early trade, commerce and treaties with European colonists.

Museum hours are Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $5, and children 8 under are free.

Mission: The Museum of Indian Culture is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to presenting, preserving, and perpetuating the history and cultural heritage of the Northeastern Woodland Indians and other American Indian tribes.

03/13/2026

Mark your calendars!

Museum of Indian Culture is pleased to announce the return of its annual Roasting Ears of Corn Festival, on August 15 and 16, 2026, from 10 AM to 6 PM, rain or shine, with a Grand Entry at 12 noon.

Stay tuned for more festival news and updates!

12/28/2025

The Museum of Indian Culture will remain closed until Friday, January 9, 2026, for the holidays. We are grateful for your patronage in 2025 and excited for 2026, featuring new exhibits, educational programs, and the culmination of our Lenape Village project. We wish you a joyous, prosperous, and fulfilling new year.

12/17/2025

Please join us at the Museum of Indian Culture for a free to the public art event. This event will be conducted in English and Spanish.

January 10th, 2026
1-3pm
2825 Fish Hatchery Rd,
Allentown, PA

Achukmvli in Chahta anumpa means to mend or repair, but also to heal.

Through this workshop, participants will be guided on basket making techniques utilizing invasive species by Rain Black, VP of Operations for the Museum. This practice is rooted in the artistic techniques and lessons from their own background as an unenrolled Tsalagi (Cherokee) and Chahta (Choctaw) descendant. Rain will lead participants in learning how art making can help heal the landscape around them and create a meaningful relationship with plant relatives.

Overflow parking are lots near the museum during construction

Please wear clothing sufficient for the winter such as heavy jackets, gloves, and boots.

This project is graciously funded by the Allentown arts commission.

Yakoke and we hope to see you there!