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Bontoc, Philippines

Ganga Caves

These caves are full of coffins, but we can't say who the bodies belong to.
From Māori ancestors to Antarctic researchers, we explore stories of coming home.
exploration

Coming Home: Our Favorite Reads

Return trips, long treks, and smells that remind us of our roots.
Roxanne Hoorn January 3, 2025
Coqueza Canton, Bolivia

Coqueza Mummies (Cementerio de Chullpas)

Halfway up a volcano at the edge of the world’s largest salt flats is a cave with seven mummies.
Bethany Beach, Delaware

Chief Little Owl

This monumental sculpture that welcomes visitors to Bethany Beach is a tribute to a regional Nanticoke Indian Tribe leader.
Cave Creek, Arizona

World's Largest Kachina Doll

This 39-foot-tall version of a Hopi figure stands in Arizona.
Vancouver, Washington

Japanese Castaways Memorial

A monument dedicated to three unlikely visitors to North America.
Maria Tallchief performing "Firebird" at the New York City Ballet on Sept. 19, 1963.
native americans

Maria Tallchief, America's First Prima Ballerina, Changed Ballet Forever

The first Native American to hold ballet's highest rank, she stunned audiences in "Firebird" 75 years ago.
Shannon Toll November 25, 2024
La Crosse, Wisconsin

'The Lacrosse Players'

This downtown statue pays tribute to the Native American game that gave the city of La Crosse its name.
Team Kwe's 2024 sculpture “Wenabozho and Dadibaajimad Journey on the River of Souls,” illustrating a traditional Ojibwe story of two figures—Wenabozho and his brother Dadibaajimad—on an otherworldly journey.
sculptures

5 Stories for Native American Heritage Month

Celebrating Indigenous artists, chefs, and conservationists this November and all year long.
Roxanne Hoorn November 8, 2024
View from the overlook on Kuwohi of the mountain peaks and ridges of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
mountains

The Tallest of the Great Smoky Mountains Is—Officially—Kuwohi

The return of the indigenous name of Tennessee's highest point has meaning beyond what's on a map.
Seth T. Kannarr and Derek H. Alderman November 4, 2024
North Rim, Arizona

Nankoweap Granaries

Hike up to this ancestral grain storage site, but don't touch.
In Mexico, today's <em>teyollohcuani</em> is a terrifying, shape-shifting, vampire-like witch, but the figure has deep precolonial roots and a complex evolution.
vampires

Mexico's Vampire Witch Has a Twisted Origin Story

The terrifying teyollohcuani is a shape-shifter of ancient indigenous lore, dark colonial history, and pop culture.
Roxanne Hoorn October 23, 2024
aliens

Who Were the Mysterious Moon-Eyed People of Appalachia?

Tales of strange, nocturnal people haunt the region—and so do theories about who they were, from a lost Welsh "tribe" to aliens.
Hadley Meares October 22, 2024
The wendigo of North America's Great Lakes region is a symbol of both the desperate season of winter and boundless human greed.
vampires

The Wendigo and 6 Other Ancient Monsters From Indigenous Folklore

These ancient terrors, from Australia’s bunyip to Brazil’s capelobo, still haunt—and hunt—us.
Gemma Tarlach October 4, 2024
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Museo de Historia Natural

Fossilized remains tell the story of the region’s past inside this small, unassuming museum.
Todos Santos, Mexico

Misión Santa Rosa de las Palmas

Once a Catholic mission, this small town tucked between the ocean and the mountains is now a magical spot for art and history lovers.
Phoenix, Arizona

Hole-in-the-Rock

Millions of years of erosion created the feature for which this rock formation is aptly named.
Yerba mate is typically sipped through a <em>bombilla</em>, a type of metal drinking straw, and is passed around the circle.
books

The Ancient, Astonishing History of Yerba Mate

From centuries-old sacred rituals to energy drinks, one psychoactive plant has spread throughout the globe.
Diana Hubbell August 30, 2024