May 30, 2026 - The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian will host a nationwide quilt-along project to reflect on the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the continuing evolution of the country, communities and future as seen through a Native perspective.
This five-month, mystery-style quilt project begins in June and is open to all who would like to participate. Participants can join the quilt along and create their own commemorative piece by signing up on the museum’s website.
On the first of each month from June through October, a new pattern will be revealed via email and on the museum’s website. Each pattern is designed by a contemporary Native artist, representing different geographic regions of the United States. Each block will measure 10 by 10 inches, the border will measure 5 inches around and the completed quilt will measure 22 by 55 inches.
In addition to receiving patterns, participants will be invited to attend two webcasts, highlighting the designs and artists, and an in-person “sit-and-sew” event held at the museum’s Washington, D.C, and New York City locations.
The final quilted wall hanging will feature four blocks, each representing distinct periods of United States history through a Native lens:
- Pre-contact to the American Revolution in 1776
- Post-American Revolution (1776–1901)—the first 125 years
- 20th century to present day (1902–2026)—the second 125 years
- Our Shared Future (2026 and beyond)
The border theme, “Always Becoming,” surrounds the different eras of United States history to reflect the idea that the nation, along with its relationship to the Indigenous peoples of the land, continues to evolve.
This project received funding from the Smithsonian’s “Our Shared Future: 250,” a Smithsonian-wide initiative supported by private philanthropy and created to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary and support the Smithsonian vision for the next 250 years.
Patterns and Release Dates
- Block 1 (June 1): Pre-contact to the American Revolution (any time prior and up to 1776), designed by Lauren Good Day (Arikara/Hidatsa/Blackfeet/Plains Cree)
- Block 2 (July 1): Post-American Revolution (1776–1901), designed by Cissy Serrao (Native Hawaiian)
- Block 3 (Aug. 1): 20th century to present day (1902–2026), designed by Emma Alcazar (Chickasaw)
- Block 4 (Sept. 1): Our Shared Future (2026 and beyond), designed by Nikki Corbett (Yup’ik)
- Border (Oct. 1): Always Becoming border, designed by Margaret Wood (Diné/Seminole)
In-Person Sit-and-Sew
An in-person sit-and-sew will be hosted at the New York City and Washington museums Oct. 17. Emma Alcazar will be on-site in Washington, and Margaret Wood will be on-site in New York.
About the Museum
In partnership with Native peoples and their allies, the National Museum of the American Indian fosters a richer shared human experience through a more informed understanding of Native peoples. Through two locations, it features exhibitions and programs in New York City and the National Mall in Washington, D.C. For information about the museums, including hours and directions, visit americanindian.si.edu. Follow the museum on social media @SmithsonianNMAI.
Individual quilt squares commissioned by the National Museum of the American Indian and assembled into a single quilt for the 1997 “To Honor and Comfort: Native Quilting Traditions” exhibition. (26/9621)
- Date created
- 1997
- Culture/People
- Anishinaabe (Chippewa/Ojibwa)
- Artist/Maker
- Paula J. White; Mary Bighorse; Ina McNeil; Margaret Wood; Ana Cooke Hoffman; Gussie Bento; Judy Toppings; Sheree Bonaparte; Lula Red Cloud; Conrad House; Nancy Naranjo; Harriet Soong; Shirley M. Grady; Jimmie Carole Fife Stewart; Alice Olsen Williams; Rita L. Corbiere; Marlene Sekaquaptewa; Ollie Napesni; and Bernyce K. Courtney
- Commissioner
- National Museum of the American Indian Exhibitions Department (NMAI Exhibits Department)
- Contributor
- Paula J. White, Minnesota Chippewa [Leech Lake, Minnesota]
- Mary Bighorse (Mary Big Horse), Osage
- Ina McNeil (Ina Brown), Hunkpapa Lakota [Standing Rock]
- Margaret Wood, Diné (Navajo)/Seminole, b. 1950
- Ana Cooke Hoffman (Cungass'aq), Yup'ik (Yupik)
- Gussie Bento (Augusta-Helen Bento), Native Hawaiian
- Judy Toppings, Minnesota Chippewa [White Earth, Minnesota]
- Sheree "Peachy" Bonaparte, Mohawk [Akwesasne]
- Lula Red Cloud, Oglala Lakota [Pine Ridge]
- Conrad House, Diné (Navajo)/Oneida, 1956-2001
- Nancy Naranjo (Nancy Cougar Crone Naranjo), Eastern Band of Cherokee
- Harriet Soong (Harriet Momilani Kimseu Soong), Native Hawaiian, 1927-2012
- Shirley M. Grady (Lead Woman), Numakiki (Mandan)/Minitari (Hidatsa)/Sioux/Apsáalooke (Crow/Absaroke)
- Jimmie Carole Fife Stewart, Muscogee Nation (Creek), b. 1940
- Alice Olsen Williams (Minaachimo-Kwe), Ontario Ojibwe
- Rita L. Corbiere, Anishinaabe [Manitoulin Island, Ontario]
- Marlene Sekaquaptewa, Hopi [Bacavi]
- Ollie Napesni, Sicangu Lakota [Rosebud Sioux]
- Bernyce K. Courtney (B.K. Courtney), Wasco/Tlingit
- Collection History
- Individual quilt squares commissioned by NMAI and assembled into a single quilt as part of the "To Honor and Comfort: Native Quilting Traditions" exhibit at the NMAI's George Gustav Heye Center in 1997.
- Contact Us
- Have a concern, a correction, or something to add? Contact us: https://nmai.si.edu/collections-statement
- Place
- USA
- See related items
- Anishinaabe (Chippewa/Ojibwa)
- Works of Art (Other)
- Data Source
- National Museum of the American Indian
- Catalog Number
- 26/9621
- Barcode
- 269621.000
- Object Type
- Works of Art (Other)
- Object Name
- Quilt
- Media/Materials
- Cotton cloth, silk cloth, yarn, glass bead/beads, thread
- Techniques
- Sewn, pieced, embroidered, quilted
- Dimensions
- 216.0 x 173.0 cm`
- Record ID
- NMAI_412305
Source: Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian