In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, The Mitchell Museum of the American Indian is offering visitors of all ages an opportunity to learn more about Native culture with special lectures, tours and a gift-membership deal during the week of Thanksgiving.

The Mitchell Museum has been educating local and international visitors about the American Indian people’s significant contributions to the history and culture of the area for over 37 years. “While the museum offers excellent programming throughout the year, with the designation of November as Native American Heritage Month, the nation’s focus tends to be on American Indian culture during the time leading up to Thanksgiving,” said Kathleen McDonald, Executive Director of the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian. “We hope that people will take advantage of the great programs we have to offer and learn a little more about the 40,000 Native Americans living in the Chicago area and the more than 6 million living throughout the United States and Canada.”

On Sunday, November 23 (2:00-3:00pm), John Dall (Ho-Chunk), will present a lecture on the history and culture of the Ho-Chunk nation followed by a tour of our ciporoke lodge build in September by a delegation from the Ho-Chunk nation. Teachers can earn CPDU credits. The fee is $10 for members and $12 for non-members.

On Saturday, November 29 (10:00-11:30am), Christine Redcloud (White Earth Ojibwe) will present “Native People’s Today” followed by a tour of the Ho-Chunk ciporoke. The presentation helps dispel American Indian stereotypes and provides a deeper understanding of past and present American Indian cultures. The presentation is free with regular admission.

Families can also stop by the Mitchell Museum on Saturday, Nov. 22 and 29 and Sunday, Nov. 23 and 30 to make a Native American inspired craft. Mitchell museum staff and volunteers lead kids in DIY projects to make simple versions of traditional Native American items. Kid’s crafts are offered Saturdays 11:00am-noon and Sundays 12:30-1:30pm. November 22-23 will be Woven Baskets, and November 29-30 will be Loom Beading. The crafts are free with regular admission.

Tuesday, December 2 is #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back. Charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world come together to celebrate generosity and to give. From now until #GivingTuesday, The Mitchell Museum is offering gift memberships at a

reduced rate in hopes that visitors will consider not only supporting the museum, but giving the gift of museum membership this holiday season so that more visitors can learn about the art, history and culture of the more than 1200 tribes and bands of indigenous people throughout the United States and Canada. Use the promo code: GIVINGTUESDAY (exp. 12/02/14) for $5 off an individual, family or partner membership. For more information about gift memberships at the Mitchell Museum, visit www.mitchellmuseum.org/membership or call 847-475-1030.

#GivingTuesday refers to the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, and is a movement created as a national day of giving back to kick off the giving season. It was started in 2012 by the 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation as a response to commercialization and consumerism in the post-Thanksgiving season.

During the entire week, and throughout the season, visit the Mitchell Museum and see our thought-provoking exhibits displaying traditional and contemporary art and material culture. Learn about Native voices and share your own perspective. Exhibits include:

 “All My relations: A Seneca History” in collaboration with visual artist and dancer Rosy Simas (Seneca). The exhibit introduces the history of the Seneca culture through milestones in the lives of Ms. Simas and her relations including a focus on flooding of Seneca Lands to build the Kinzua Dam.

 “Storytelling: Inspiring Traditions for Generations.” Learn how American Indians use storytelling traditions as tools to face contemporary issues such as language preservation and land ownership.

 “Did You Know They’re Native IV.” The lives of 24 noteworthy people of Native American descent are featured through photos and biographical information.

 “A Regional Tour of American Indian Cultures.” Learn about the art, culture, costumes, and tools of tribes from the five major regions of the U.S. and Canada.  “The Photographs of Edward S. Curtis.” View Curtis’s ideal of American Indians and their homelands in these controversial prints.

 “The Teaching Lodge and Wigwam.” Step into a replica wigwam to experience the lifestyle of the Woodlands tribal people.

The Mitchell Museum is one of only a handful of museums in the country that focuses exclusively on the art, history and culture of American Indian and First Nation peoples throughout the United States and Canada. In 2012, The Mitchell Museum was named “Best Museum of The North Shore: Up and Comer” by Make it Better magazine, won the Superior award by the Illinois Association of Museums and was named a national finalist by the American Association of State and Local History award program.

For more information about The Mitchell Museum of The American Indian, visit www.mitchellmuseum.org or call 847-475-1030. The museum is open Tuesday-Wednesday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday- Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday noon to 4 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors, students and children and Free for Mitchell Museum members and Tribal members.