From ancient cliff dwellings and complex earthworks to museums committed to preserving indigenous cultures, important sites relating to America's Native peoples dot the USA. To celebrate Native American Heritage Month in November, we’ve picked some of the most fascinating cultural sites around the States.
Described as an “open book of human history” by the National Park Service, this monument encompasses some 33,000 acres – and, most importantly, it protects an area thought to have been settled by humans more than 11,000 years ago. Most fascinating of all are the homes hewn from soft volcanic tuff by the Ancestral Pueblo people from around AD 1150.
Around 70 miles (113km) of trails lead visitors to the most intriguing spots around this archeologically rich site. Especially popular is the 1.4-mile (2km) Main Loop Trail, which takes hikers past cliff dwellings and historic communal areas – wooden ladders even allow access into the cavates (rocky alcoves carved by humans). A ranger-led tour along the Main Loop (typically available in summer) is a great way to learn more about the people who once dwelled here. Note that, while the monument's trails are open, the visitor centre and museum remain closed.
A tribute to the late Sioux warrior, this mammoth mountain carving is thought to be the largest in the world – in fact, Crazy Horse's face alone reaches 87 feet (27m), dwarfing the 60-foot (18m) presidents over at nearby Mount Rushmore. Crazy Horse, who was killed in 1877, is famed for his role in the Sioux Wars, as Native peoples resisted the invasion of the Great Plains. The monument itself, still unfinished, is open year-round, and (weather permitting) visitors can even take a van ride right to the top of the mountain.
This 301-acre site is sacred to several groups of Native peoples, who have long used the rust-red rocks here to carve pipes used for prayer. As well as being an area of striking natural beauty, the site protects a series of historic pipestone quarries, thought to have been in use for some 3,000 years. It’s said that numerous Plains tribes, including the Dakota Sioux peoples, worked here side by side, and the quarrying tradition continues to this day.
The popular Circle Trail is a 0.75-mile (1.2km) route that leaves from the Visitor Center (temporarily closed) and takes in some of the most significant spots here – walkers will see the impressive Winnewissa Falls and the historic pipestone quarries too. On the way to the monument, there's also a gift shop and gallery run by non-profit The Keepers of the Sacred Tradition (pictured), where visitors can pore over art by Native peoples and even purchase a handmade pipe. The store is currently open with limited capacity.
Evidence of human settlement at Hovenweep dates back more than 10,000 years – but the most impressive remaining structures are those built by Ancestral Puebloans between about AD 1200 and AD 1300. It's thought that the Puebloans migrated south in the 13th century, perhaps due to drought or conflicts, though this remains unclear. Today visitors can spot the crumbling remains of six Puebloan-era villages and drink in rigid square and cylindrical towers, and circular kivas, used for sacred gatherings.
Numerous trails weave their way around the ruins. The Canyon Overlook is a popular stopping point, with its vistas over scenic Little Ruin Canyon, Sleeping Ute Mountain and the Ancestral Puebloan Square Tower ruins. Those hoping to stray from the beaten path can follow the out-and-back Cajon Trail: it leads to a crumbling village and (with good conditions) grants views across to the Bears Ears National Monument too.
This sand-coloured building on DC's National Mall is a sight in itself – but, of course, it's what's inside that counts. Within the museum doors are a huge store of records and artefacts relating to upwards of 1,200 indigenous cultures in the Americas. Visitors can pore over intricate beadwork, basketry, ceramics and fine art, and see exhibitions focused on everything from spirituality to contemporary life. Currently, the museum is operating at reduced capacity and advance booking of a (free) timed-entry pass is required.
Situated in southeastern Montana, this poignant site commemorates the Battle of the Little Bighorn, a bloody clash between the Native peoples of the Northern Plains – the Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes – and the US Army's 7th Cavalry. Long-standing and complex tensions between the two sides were aggravated further when Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer was sent to survey the Black Hills for natural resources and potential military stations, encroaching on Native land.
On 25 June 1876, the Native tribespeople and the US Army clashed in a two-day battle that claimed the lives of 263 US soldiers (including General Custer) and around 80 Lakota and Cheyenne peoples. This monument serves as a stark reminder of the devastating events and pays tribute to the fallen on both sides. Visitors can pay their respects at the Custer National Cemetery and the Indian Memorial (both open), which includes the Spirit Warrior Sculpture (pictured). Note that the visitor centre and museum are temporarily closed.
Little is known about the Native Effigy Moundbuilders, who likely built these mounds during the Late Woodland Period (around AD 300-1000). Occupying a scenic spot along the Mississippi River, the mounds take many forms, from bears to birds, and they're considered sacred to many Native peoples. It's thought that the structures may have been used as ceremonial sites, while some suggest they were created to mark out territories.
Describing its mission as the "presentation, interpretation and advancement of American Indian art", this Phoenix museum was established back in 1929. The 40,000-strong collection of objects here ranges from Navajo textiles to Southwestern ceramics, and the museum operates with guidance from the American Indian Advisory Committee, which includes representatives from various tribes. There are also typically special events from film screenings to the opportunity to meet with indigenous artists. The museum is currently open with limited capacity.
This site was settled by humans for more than 17,000 years, during which time four distinct prehistoric cultures called the land home: the Native peoples of the Paleo Indian Culture, the Archaic Period, the Woodland Period and the Mississippian Period. The park is also significant as the ancestral homeland of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, who were forced to give up the land during the 19th century, and now live in Oklahoma.
The park's main path spools out from the visitor centre (temporarily closed) and leads to the Great Temple Mound, a vast ceremonial mound with stairs leading to its summit. Along the way, there's a reconstructed earth lodge (pictured) and a British trading post thought to date to the 17th century. The Ocmulgee Indian Celebration is an annual event held in September bringing together dancers, storytellers, craftspeople and more – the celebration went virtual due to COVID-19 this year, but organisers hope it will return to the Mounds in 2021.
Protecting some of the most impressive structures left behind by Ancestral Puebloans in America, this site is concentrated in the remote Chaco Canyon, in northwest New Mexico. It’s thought that Native communities flourished here between the 9th and 13th centuries, building – among other structures – sixteen Chaco “great houses”: vast, multi-storied structures often with a complex layout and many rooms. An impressive example here is Pueblo Bonito, tipped as the centre of the Chacoan world.
Visitors can follow the 9-mile (14km) Canyon Loop Drive, which takes in sprawling Pueblo Bonito (pictured), and five other important sites, including Una Vida, with its large kiva. Guided tours are typically available in summer and, given the site’s status as an International Dark Sky Park, there are also fascinating astronomy programmes throughout the year (events have been on hold, but check here for updates). Chaco Culture is surrounded by the Navajo Nation, so visitors are also reminded to wear face coverings and check for curfews and restrictions here before heading out.
This National Historical Park, situated along the Ohio River Valley, contains important traces of the Hopewell Culture: a group of Native peoples who flourished in this area from around 200 BC to AD 500. Six earthwork complexes are collected within the park, containing earthen mounds that would have been used for important gatherings from funerals to feasts.
The most significant complex here is the Hopewell Mound Group: a 300-acre site with two striking earthworks and a 2.5-mile (4km) interpretive trail winding throughout – it’s thought that this space once contained 29 burial mounds. As well as discovering the park’s deep historical significance, there’s also plenty of opportunity for biking, birding, hiking and canoeing. Be aware, too, that while the park grounds are open, the visitor centre still remains closed for now.
In the 1830s, some 16,000 Cherokee people were forcibly removed from their homelands as part of the Indian Removal Act. This act dictated that Native peoples be evicted from their lands in Tennessee, North Carolina, Alabama and Georgia and relocated to a designated “Indian Territory”, which is in modern-day Oklahoma. Thousands of Cherokees died during this time, and the route has become known as the Trail of Tears. The National Historic Trail begins at the then-Cherokee capital, New Echota (pictured).
Today visitors can follow various routes along the vast trail which covers nine states and takes in many important sites. Georgia’s New Echota Historic Site comprises 12 buildings, both original and reconstructed, including the former Cherokee Council House and Court House. In Pulaski, Tennessee, hikers will find the Giles County Trail of Tears Interpretive Center (pictured, currently open on Thursdays) with exhibits chronicling the abhorrent series of events. More poignant exhibits exist in the Museum of the Cherokee Indian in Cherokee, North Carolina.
Opened in 2019, this museum in northeast Oklahoma is dedicated to celebrating and educating visitors on the culture and history of the Cherokee Nation. Held in the refurbished Cherokee National Capitol building, interesting displays chronicle the lives of Cherokee people before the arrival of Europeans and also educate on the Trail of Tears and life after the Civil War. Other absorbing sites in the area include the Cherokee National Prison Museum and the John Ross Museum, a tribute to a former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. These Cherokee Nation cultural sites are currently open with limited capacity.
It’s thought that this site along the Missouri River valley was settled by Native peoples for upwards of 11,000 years. It has been protected by the National Park System since 1974, and still contains the remains of villages once occupied by the Hidatsa, meaning “People of the Willows”. Sadly the Hidatsa people, once three distinct groups, were forced from their villages after a smallpox epidemic hit the area in the 19th century.
Today hikers can see the remains of several significant Hidatsa sites along the 1.3-mile (2km) Village Trail, or the forested Big Hidatsa Trail, which leads to the largest of the settlements (check here for the most recent trail updates). Visitors can also check out a reconstruction of a full-scale traditional earth lodge, as well as explore a recreated Hidatsa garden. The modern museum holds relics unearthed around the villages too, and offers the chance to learn more about the Hidatsa people.
The crowning jewel of this national monument (as the name suggests) is Montezuma Castle, a 20-room high-rise building hewn from rugged limestone rock. It’s thought that the structures protected on this site were built by the Sinagua people between AD 1100 and 1425, and today some 350,000 people typically come to admire the dwellings each year.
It's also worth visiting the intriguing Montezuma Well, which lies some 11 miles (18km) north – free to enter, the well site includes more pueblo ruins and crumbling cliff dwellings, all lining the green-blue water. The Monument's museum (though temporarily closed) also holds fascinating historic displays, while ranger talks help bring the lives of the Sinagua people and the importance of the monument's buildings into focus: check here to find out when events will resume.
The intricate cave paintings found in this Historic Park are attributed to the Chumash, Native peoples that originated along the California coast. Made up of curious symbols thought to relate to Chumash cosmology, the paintings adorn sandstone caverns and could potentially date back more than 1,000 years. To reach the cave, drivers need to come off State Route 154, and travel around 2 miles on the scenic Painted Cave Road.
Situated in northeast Louisiana, this complex of earthworks is among the most impressive anywhere in the USA and is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. The largest mound, Mound A or the Bird Mound (pictured), soars to 72 feet (22m) and was likely built by Native peoples in 1300 BC, during the Late Archaic Period. There’s also a striking pattern of concentric half-circle ridges, some of which reach 6 feet (1.8m) in height.
A 2.6-mile (4km) hiking trail weaves through the site, allowing visitors to appreciate the intricate earthworks. The museum also houses a range of stone and clay artefacts that shed light on life here several millennia ago – these include small clay balls that were once used in cooking. Look out for events including night hikes, prehistoric cooking demonstrations and craft workshops at the site too.
You’ll find this incredible series of petroglyphs, or intricate rock carvings, at the sacred Pu'u Loa site, in the Panau Nui area of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The petroglyphs, carved from solidified lava, take up a vast area south of Kilauea volcano and it’s thought that there are more than 23,000 in total. Visitors can take to the Pu'u Loa Trail, a 1.4-mile (2km) route across the lava field that includes a raised wooden boardwalk: the boardwalk grants views of petroglyphs depicting human forms, geometric patterns and more.
Part of the Plimoth Plantation, a living history museum dedicated to Pilgrim life in the 17th century, the Wampanoag Homesite sits on the Eel River banks. The recreated homesite is dedicated to telling the story of the Wampanoag people, who occupied this land before the arrival of Europeans. Visitors can see traditional homes and practices, including the process of carving a boat from a tree using fire (pictured). The guides here are also all Native people, who have plenty of information to share about their heritage. The site remains open – check here for the COVID-19 safety protocols.
Spread over 2,200 acres, this site in western Illinois is significant as the largest pre-Columbian site north of Mexico. It’s thought that Cahokia, once larger than London, was home to around 120 mounds, with its “golden age” spanning from AD 1100 to 1200. Today visitors can explore prehistoric earthworks including gargantuan Monks Mound, which reaches 98 feet (30m) and is thought to be the largest in all of the Americas.
Numerous trails lace between the mounds and guided tours typically run from April through to October, visiting Monks Mound and other significant spots. The Interpretative Center boasts a recreated village and exhibits on Cahokian culture, while special events include everything from flint-knapping classes to archaeologist-led hikes (some have been on hold due to COVID-19, but check here for the latest happenings).
Today around 9,000 members of the Blackfeet tribe live on or around the Blackfeet Reservation: a 1.5-million-acre site in the northwest of Montana, bordered by Glacier National Park. The modern-day Blackfeet – which were so named for their distinctive black footwear – are descended from three ancient tribes: the Siksika (Blackfeet), Kainah and Piegans. And aside from drinking in the natural beauty of the reservation, there are many ways that visitors can usually get a glimpse into Blackfeet culture.
Blackfeet Nation is currently under Phase 1: Stay At Home COVID-19 restrictions, and its cultural attractions are closed but, usually, there's plenty for visitors to get involved with. The reservation is home to the Museum of the Plains Indian, which includes exhibits on the Blackfeet and other Native peoples. You can also take a Blackfeet Cultural History Tour led by tribe-member Darrell Norman, Ee-Nees-Too-Wah-See, who will guide you around the reservation and educate you on Blackfeet history, tradition and modern life. The annual North American Indian Days event (pictured), held here in July, is typically open to visitors too.
From around AD 600 to 1300, Ancestral Puebloans made their home in this rugged slice of Colorado. Today incredible evidence of their life here remains, with thousands of archeological sites including some 600 cliff dwellings. Most impressive of all is the mighty Cliff Palace (pictured), the largest cliff dwelling in the park, which can generally be viewed on a guided tour from May through to September. (Tours have been on hold, but see here for updates).
Other sites of interest include the Long House (pictured), second in size only to the Cliff Palace and usually visitable on a two-hour guided tour. There’s also the striking Spruce Tree House, which can be taken in from overlooks near the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum. Note that while the cliff dwellings are closed and ranger tours are temporarily suspended, visitors can get great vistas of the ruins from various viewing points throughout the park. Be sure to check the alerts page for updates, too.
Around 5 miles (8km) south of Tahlequah, in Park Hill, lies the Cherokee Heritage Center. As well as a moving Trail of Tears exhibit – which covers everything from Cherokee life before the removal to their adjustment afterwards – there’s a recreated early 18th-century Cherokee village (pictured). Named Diligwa, the village offers an insight into Cherokee life in the 1700s. The centre is temporarily closed, but keep an eye on the website for opening updates.
A 150-strong community of Native people still live in mountain-flanked Taos Pueblo, whose adobe buildings are thought to have been constructed between AD 1000 and 1450. Travellers can typically visit the pueblo and meet its residents, and even take part in some select special events, including the Annual San Geronimo Feast Day in September. Sadly, the pueblo is temporarily closed to visitors due to COVID-19, but keep an eye on the website to plan your trip once it reopens.
Committed to telling the story of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, this museum is tribally owned and run, and is packed to the rafters with multimedia displays. Life-sized dioramas, films, art and artefacts cover everything from Pequot Village life and the arrival of the Europeans, to the devastating Pequot War of the 1630s. Its head-turning stone, steel and glass building will sate architecture buffs too. Due to COVID-19, the site is temporarily closed, but check back to plan your visit for spring 2021, when the venue hopes to reopen. Now discover more incredible ancient ruins around the USA.