Carson City’s Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum Reopening

The Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum announced today it is reopening to the public on Tuesday, Jan. 19, the day after the nation celebrates Martin Luther King Day. 

“We are excited to reopen to the public and share our wonderful exhibitions,” said Bobbi Rahder, Museum Director. “We are following Governor Sisolak’s directive of requiring face coverings, use of hand sanitizer, and social distancing as we keep our visitors, volunteers, Stewart alumni, and staff healthy and safe.” 

First opened in 1890, Stewart Indian School was operated by the federal government for 90 years before it closed in 1980. Stewart and other boarding schools across the nation, were initially set up to forcefully educate Native American children in the late 1800s. This assimilation policy impacted thousands of Native students not only from the Great Basin tribal nations, but over 200 Tribal Nations over the school’s 90-year history.

The Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum opened on Jan. 13, 2020 in what was once the school’s administrative building. 

In addition to “Our Home, Our Relations,” a permanent exhibition that depicts the students’ boarding school experiences, the Cultural Center & Museum features the Wa-Pai-Shone Gallery of contemporary Great Basin Native art, the Storytelling Room for storytelling and craft making, a research room where relatives can research their family members who attended Stewart, and classroom space for educational activities, lectures, and public programs. 

Recently, the museum has produced Stewart memorabilia for sale as a fundraiser, to offset state budget cuts. A list of items including t-shirts, hoodies, cups, water bottles, lanyards, tote bags, and ornaments can be found on the museum’s website at www.StewartIndianSchool.com. Items can be purchased through cash or check, but not by credit card. 

The museum’s hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed on weekends, and state and federal holidays. The museum is not conducting any group tours at this time.

In addition, the public can still use the self-guided cellphone audio tour to explore the historic campus. This walking tour allows guests to view the spectacular stone buildings flanked by the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains, and to learn from alumni about their experiences at the boarding school. These firsthand accounts are also available at: https://stewartindianschool.com/walking-trail/. 

For more information, please contact Bobbi Rahder, Museum Director, at 775-687-7606 or e-mail at brahder@nic.nv.gov.