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Explore Global Cultures

Discover North Carolina’s only museum dedicated to the study of global cultures. Explore stories of humanity, from ancient archaeological sites to the celebrations and struggles of today. Learn about people from around the world through their everyday objects, ceremonial artifacts, and visual arts.

Open Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00am to 4:30pm. Admission is free.

Featured Exhibits

Day of the Dead exhibit

Life after Death: Celebrating Day of the Dead
Through December 6

east Asian textiles on exhibit

Poems Made to Wear: Traditional Colors in East Asia
Opening October 15

See All Exhibits

Upcoming Events

skeleton figures

Closed for Thanksgiving

November 27-30

Closed for Winter Break

December 7 – January 5

Recent News Stories

Bring Them Home / Aiskótáhkapiyaaya Film Screening to Celebrate Indigenous Peoples DayOctober 7, 2024
The Lam on LoanSeptember 9, 2024
Studying WFU Student EngagementJune 5, 2024

See All News Stories

Explore the Collection with the Artifact of the Month

Comanche Deer Hide RobeNovember 1, 2024
Mexican MilagrosOctober 7, 2024
Ndebele Woman’s ApronSeptember 3, 2024

See All Artifact of the Month

Find a Craft Activity with Cultures Up Close

See All Cultures Up Close

Stay in Touch

Receive updates on exhibits and events from the Lam Museum

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Nov 19

Did you know that NC has the 9th highest American Indian population in the country with more than 226,000 people? NC has 8 recognized tribes and 4 urban Indian organizations. Check out the map to see which counties these tribes call home today.

#NativeAmericanHeritageMonth #americanindianheritagemonth #northcarolina

Nov 14

Did you know that the Museum has objects on display at @zsrlibrary? We are currently showcasing historic American Indian beadwork from the Great Plains - a perfect quick stop to learn something during #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth!

#americanindian #americanindianheritagemonth #greatplains #beadwork

Nov 12

Field trip! The students in Dr. Gurstelle's First Year Seminar "To Curate" visited @mesdagram today to talk about exhibit design. The class is creating an exhibit that will be on display at the Lam early next year.

Nov 4

Happy #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth! Our November #ArtifactOfTheMonth is a beautiful Comanche deer hide robe. This robe is from the mid-1800s and would have been worn by a young girl. Robes like this one were worn as a coat and used as an additional layer in cooler weather. In winter, heavier hides with the animal hair still attached would have been used to provide additional warmth. Although buffalo hide robes are the most common, people wore deer hides, like this one, because they were more comfortable and pliable for everyday clothing.

Hide painting was a widespread art form across the Great Plains. On hide robes like this one, the painting was displayed across the wearer’s back. The most popular colors in these paintings were red and black, as shown here. This geometric design is a recognized pattern called Border and Hourglass. It was a popular motif in the southwest Plains region, especially among the Comanche, and can be associated with curing or healing ceremonies. Geometric designs were traditionally painted by women, while men painted representational ones. On this hide, the hourglass in the center is in the form of a stylized animal. This type of image is the closest representation of a living thing found in geometric designs. Holes from the pegs used to stretch the hide before painting are visible in the upper right side of the robe.

Hide robes like this one are especially significant because there are very few such robes in existence, and examples of #Comanche clothing in museum collections east of the Mississippi are quite rare.

#lammuseum #wakethearts #greatplains #paintedhide

Nov 1

Today is the first day of Día de Muertos, Day of the Dead! The spirits of children, or angelitos, return today, while the spirits of adults return tomorrow. Learn more about the many ways that people celebrate the holiday with a visit to our annual exhibit. Don't worry if you can't make it this weekend though, it will be on display through December 6!

#lammuseum #dayofthedead #diadelosmuertos #diademuertos #Mexico

Oct 28

We had a lot of fun at our Calaveritas Workshop yesterday. Thank you to everyone who joined us to learn about Day of the Dead and make skeleton figures!

#lammuseum #wakethearts #dayofthedead #diadelosmuertos #diademuertos

Oct 23

Did you know that October is Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Month? We have a Gullah language Bible on display in the linguistics section of our permanent exhibit "Stories of Humanity: Anthropology in North Carolina." Gullah is a distinct creole language (not a dialect) with African linguistic features spoken in Gullah Geechee communities along the coast of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

#lammuseum #Gullah #gullahgeechee #gullahgeecheeculturalheritagemonth #linguistics

Oct 21

Registration for our Calaveritas Workshop will close on Friday, October 25, at noon! Don't miss your chance - register today via the link in our bio.

#lammuseum #wakethearts #dayofthedead #diadelosmuertos #diademuertos #calaveras #wsnc #thingstodoinwsnc

Oct 16

Oct 14

Today is #IndigenousPeoplesDay. Thank you to everyone who attended our event recognizing this important day with a screening of Bring Them Home and a discussion with National Impact Producer Candice Dalsing and CEO of Blackfeet ECO Knowledge Tyson Running Wolf yesterday.

#lammuseum #wakethearts

Oct 10

Spots are still available in our Calaveritas Workshop! Reserve your spot today and come make a Day of the Dead skeleton figure with us! Click on the Events Calendar link in our bio.

#lammuseum #diadelosmuertos #diademuertos #dayofthedead

Oct 8

This Sunday, we will celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day with a free screening of the documentary "Bring Them Home / Aiskótáhkapiyaaya" at 4 pm at the Kulynych Auditorium in the Byrum Welcome Center at WFU. The film tells the story of a small group of Blackfeet people and their mission to establish the first wild buffalo herd on their ancestral territory since the species’ near-extinction a century ago. The screening will be followed by a discussion with National Impact Producer Candice Dalsing and CEO of Blackfeet ECO Knowledge Tyson Running Wolf. The event will end with a reception catered by Native Root. We hope to see you there!

#lammuseum #IndigenousPeoplesDay #wakethearts #bison #blackfeet #blackfoot

Oct 7

In honor of#HispanicHeritageMonth, our #ArtifactOfTheMonth is this collection of milagros from #Mexico. Small metal charms known as milagros are used throughout Latin America to symbolize prayers. They are pinned to crosses, statues of religious figures, and altars to petition for help and protection. They can also represent thanks for an answered prayer. Some people carry milagros with them for good luck, healing, or protection.

In Mexico, milagros are often used in gratitude as part of a manda or promise. When a person petitions a saint for a favor that is granted, that person must then go to the shrine of the saint and leave a milagro. Sometimes an additional thank you written on a small piece of paper is also left with the charm.

Milagros are a continuation of an ancient European practice of leaving symbolic offerings at shrines combined with similar votive practices in Indigenous Mexican cultures. Iberians, who lived in Spain between the fifth and first centuries BCE, used bronze milagros that look remarkably similar to modern ones. The practice continued in the medieval Spanish Catholic Church, a tradition that the Conquistadors brought to the New World. For the Indigenous people, this practice resembled their rituals of offering gifts to the gods. As a result of this syncretism, the use of milagros spread across Latin America.

Milagros can be made of brass (as seen here), tin, alloys, or precious metals like silver or gold. In their most common form, they are mass produced by artists who stamp them from metal sheets or cast them in molds, creating the small, flat type of charm shown here. However, milagros can come in a range of sizes, and some are three-dimensional. Silversmiths also make custom charms for customers.

The form of a milagro is connected to the problem it aims to solve. However, there is no universal interpretation. They may take the shape of a person or body part to focus healing on a specific area. They can also appear in a wide variety of other forms including angels, animals, fruits, and vegetables.

Today, #milagros are often incorporated into folk art and jewelry in addition to being used for their original religious purpose.

Oct 1

Don't miss this fascinating lecture by Visiting Assistant Professor Dr. Suzanne Barber tonight!

#lammuseum #anthropology #China #dogs

Sep 30

Mark your calendar! We will celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day with a screening of the documentary "Bring Them Home / Aiskótáhkapiyaaya" on Sunday, October 13, at 4pm, at the Kulynych Auditorium in Byrum Welcome Center. The film tells the story of a small group of Blackfeet people and their mission to establish the first wild buffalo herd on their ancestral territory since the species’ near-extinction a century ago. The film will be followed by a discussion with National Impact Producer Candice Dalsing and CEO of Blackfeet ECO Knowledge Tyson Running Wolf. The event will end with a reception catered by Native Root.

Sep 27

Look for us at @bethabarapark tomorrow! We'll have Native American artifacts from the Yadkin River Valley, and you'll be able to crack nuts with an authentic nutting stone.

#bethabaraapplefestival #ncarchaeology #yadkinvalley #nchistory

Sep 24

Dr. Suzanne Barber, Visiting Assistant Professor in the WFU Anthropology Department, will speak on her research about the role of dogs in China next week at the Museum. We hope to see you here!

#lammuseum #anthropology #China #dogs

Sep 18

Registration is open for our Calaveritas Workshop on October 27! Join us to learn more about Day of the Dead and make your own skeleton figure. Click on the Events Calendar 🔗 in our bio for more information.

#lammuseum #wakethearts #diadelosmuertos #diademuertos #dayofthedead

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