For over 50 years, the Museum has served the Bay Area community as an educational and cultural center dedicated to supporting the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas. The Museum was founded in 1967 when an excavation of Miwok Park unearthed masses of artifacts related to the Coast Miwok people.

From our location on unceded Coast Miwok land, we are dedicated to ensuring that our exhibits and programming bring greater awareness to this community, their place in our shared history, and their cultural contributions. Working with the Coast Miwok Tribal Council, the Museum’s permanent collection has been carefully curated to focus on two key themes: the Coast Miwok people have a living culture that has evolved from their distant past to the current day; and their culture can be a source of inspiration and wisdom for all peoples now living in Marin, especially as it pertains to living in relationship with the natural world.

Beyond visitors to our permanent collection and rotating exhibits, the Museum is an institution for the youth of the Bay Area. Prior to our COVID-related closure, the Museum welcomed between 4,000 and 5,000 elementary school children as a part of our field trip programs, the majority of whom were from Marin County Public Schools. After re-opening, we aim to provide co-curricular activities that support key learning objectives for State of California students in the 4th and 9th grades.

In addition to our field trip programs, the Museum partners with the local Native community to address issues specific to them – this may include hosting educational workshops facilitated by Native-led organizations, or working with Native artists to curate contemporary exhibits in our gallery.