2025 Special Exhibitions at the Iroquois Museum

2025 Special Exhibitions on View April 3 through November 30

Once a Tree: Continuity, Creativity, and Connection

“Once a Tree: Continuity, Creativity, and Connection” explores the deep-rooted significance of trees in Haudenosaunee culture, tradition, and creative expression. Featuring the work of 42 artists and more than 100 objects—including decorative and utilitarian baskets, cradleboards, snowshoes, ladles, lacrosse sticks, toys, instruments, carvings, and sleds—this exhibition highlights the important relationship between nature and artistry. Selected from the Museum’s permanent collection, the exhibition was created with guidance from curatorial consultants Terry Chrisjohn III (Oneida), Preston Jacobs (Mohawk), and Sheila Ransom (Mohawk).

Separated but Unbroken: The Haudenosaunee Boarding School Experience

“Separated but Unbroken: The Haudenosaunee Boarding School Experience” explores the lasting impact of the Thomas Indian School, once located on the Cattaraugus Reservation south of Buffalo, NY, and The Mohawk Institute near Branford, Ontario. These institutions, which enrolled a significant number of Haudenosaunee students, were part of a larger system that sought to erase Indigenous identities while deeply shaping the lives of those who endured them. Co-curated by Erin Keaton (Mohawk), the exhibition sheds light on Haudenosaunee resilience.