Native North American Art

The MFA's collection of Native American art traces its origins to the 1870s, when the Museum opened to the public. Diné (Navajo) weavings, Zuni Pueblo pottery, and Lakota beadwork were all part of the MFA's foundational collection. Largely missing from the collection, however, were objects representing the Eastern Woodlands cultures and homelands of the Massachusett peoples, upon which the Museum and the city of Boston stand. Today, we work in collaboration with Native artists and community members to continue building our collection, which represents a diversity of artistic styles, historic and contemporary alike, from Indigenous nations and cultures across the United States and Canada.