North South East West

American Indians have an enduring heritage of connections with the natural universe. These connections are the focus of Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s Alcoa Foundation Hall of American Indians.

Through exploration of four different visions of living in and with the natural world—those of the Tlingit people of the Northwest Coast, the Hopi people of the Southwest, the Iroquois Confederacy of the Northeast, and the Lakota Nation of the Plains—North, South, East, West: American Indians and the Natural World examines the belief systems, philosophies, and practical knowledge that guide Indian peoples’ interactions with the natural world. Though all of these peoples have chosen different pathways and strategies for making a life in their various environments, one similar concept is voiced by all—that a reciprocal connection exists between people and the world of nature.