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Home>Learn>Teachers>School Field Trips>The Land Carries Our Ancestors: Contemporary Art by Native Americans (School Field Trip)

The Land Carries Our Ancestors: Contemporary Art by Native Americans

Grades 8 through 12

We will offer a selection of in-person and virtual field trips (using Zoom) for winter/spring 2024.

Requests for winter/spring field trips (January 8 – May 31, 2024) will be accepted from December 1, 2023 – April 5, 2024.

The land lies at the heart of Native American cultures. On this field trip, students discover contemporary Native American artists whose works are grounded in an enduring relationship with the land. They see how the Indigenous artists in this exhibition use diverse practices—weaving, sculpture, beadwork, painting, printmaking, drawing, photography, performance, and video—to convey their ideas and beliefs. Through a culminating art-making activity, students express their own personal connections to the natural environment. 

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Cara Romero (Chemehuevi), Indian Canyon, 2019, archival pigment print, Courtesy of the artist. © Cara Romero

Looking and Learning Skills

Students will:

  • Make and articulate careful observations
  • Formulate questions that demonstrate curiosity and engagement
  • Reason with evidence from the artworks themselves
  • Explore how artists use different materials, techniques, and processes for creative expression
  • Understand that works of art can have multiple meanings and interpretations
  • Create collage-based art to connect to works and ideas in the exhibition

In-Person Field Trip Information

Group Size: Up to 60 students
Length: 90 minutes
Meeting Location: East Building Atrium

Important Scheduling Information

Field trips must be scheduled at least four weeks in advance. Groups must contain at least 15 students.

Once your field trip has been scheduled, you will receive an email confirmation within ten business days.

Title I Bus Stipends

Funding for the cost of bus transportation is available for Title I schools that participate in our docent-led school field trips. For more information, please get in touch with Deirdre Palmer at [email protected] or 202.842.6880, or use the application form.

Related Lessons & Activities

Grade Level: K–4

Symbolism and Place: Linda Lomahaftewa

Grade Level: 5–8

Poetry Connections: Emmi Whitehorse

Grade Level: 9–12

Land and Identity: Jaune Quick-to-See Smith

Additional National Gallery Resources

Related Resources