The Gichigamiin Museum, formerly known as the Mitchell Museum, sits on Central Street in northern Evanston. The museum has been primarily focused on Native American history for almost 50 years.
With a rotating selection of exhibits, there is always something new to explore at Gichigamiin.
The museum has been a staple in the Evanston community ever since its opening in 1977. Recently, they have been undergoing major changes. These changes were kickstarted by the museum changing its name from the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian, to Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum. Both museum staff and the community felt as though the name did not properly reflect the museum’s mission.
“Gichigamiin” translates to “The Great Lakes” in Ojibwe, and this name change launched a series of upcoming changes to Gichigamiin Museum.
Camille Billie, the garden manager of Gichigamiin, explained the ongoing renovations to the museum’s garden area: there will be three zones of the garden, reaching all the way to the next door building, which will eventually become a kitchen area. The garden will feature a sun zone, shade zone, and teaching lodge.
“It will be really nice for people who are trying to figure out how to garden with native plants in different settings,” said Billie. It will connect native gardening practices to a modern urban area.
Additionally, the entire upstairs area of the museum was recently renovated to include more region specific artwork connecting to the Chicagoland area.
Most of the exhibits downstairs showcase items from a variety of Native tribes all over North America. Billie says that a portion of the renovations will work on making Chicagoland’s Native history a main focus.
Art is an important part of Gichigamiin Museum. In addition to exhibits that focus on native artwork, the museum also hosts an Art Pop-Up on their free admission days each month. Billie says that the Art Pop-Up is a way for the museum to promote local artists.
“The goal is being able to be a platform to support native artists,” said Billie.
At its core that is what The Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum is all about: honoring Native American culture and celebrating it.
