Seneca Iroquois National Museum — Attraction in City of Salamanca

I've taken my oldest child to the museum twice now, and it's always an enjoyable, informative, enriching experience. A third trip will be in order later this season to view the Carson Waterman retrospective exhibit, and to see how the longhouse garden is coming along. I'd love to have a chance to speak with someone about what bean and squash cultivars they're growing (I assume the maize is white corn).

Speaking of plants, they sell products from the Seneca Nation Dept of Agriculture (Gakwi:yo:h Farms) in the gift shop. I really have to insist that everyone try the white corn at least once; it is a superfood in addition to being ridiculously tasty. As far as I'm aware, the museum store is the only place one can order white corn products online for home delivery.

Aside from dry goods, the gift shop also has a wide assortment of beadwork and other hand-made goods, in addition to an excellent book selection. I've purchased a good deal of research material in both print and .pdf format from the museum store. If you're interested in reading about local indigenous culture, history, language, etc, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better selection of books pertaining to those topics in the...

This is a wonderful small museum, absolutely worth seeing. We spent about an hour and were able to see all the indoor exhibits. It was calm and quiet, and easily accessible if you have limited mobility or sensory sensitivities. Admission is very affordable, at $11 base rate in fall of 2023, with standard types of discounts available.

We visited the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian last year, and in talking about differences in our experiences, what really struck me was the difference in perspective, the personal vs the anthropological. While I'm glad both exist (and the Smithsonian has the added challenge of trying to reflect so many different cultures at once), I found this to be the more meaningful experience. The beadwork and other art are stunning, and I love the incorporation of modern artists, emphasizing the living current culture. I found the exhibit on the history of protests and activism deeply important and meaningful, and I loved the discussion of Iriquois influence on feminism.

Whole-heartedly...

Knowing that there are not many museums about Native Americans in the States, we planned to visit here before even coming to Salamanca. And I am glad we did! The museum opens a wide window into the Native Americans’ lives in the Seneca nation which is a union of various tribes in Northern New York. The museum does an amazing job to explain the Native American culture from the stories of the creation to their traditional dresses, the healing plants they benefitted from for centuries, their folkloric dances, and so more. The museum does not only explain the cultural aspects but it informs the visitors about the struggles the Native American experience still to this day. If you happen to be in the region, I would highly recommend you visit here to gain a different perspective about the...