Milwaukee Public Museum welcomed students and community members to a Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration on Monday, Oct. 13. Dancers and drummers with México Indígena performed traditional Aztec dances during the event.

The Ho-Chunk drum group Little Priest Singers also performed with several dancers who showcased different types of powwow dances. Indigenous Peoples’ Day highlights indigenous cultures, traditions and history.

Rume’Lee Rooks, 13, a dancer with México Indígena, performs a traditional Aztec dance.

Emily Garcia, 15, a dancer with México Indígena performs a traditional Aztec dance.

Little Priest Singers dedicates a song to veterans.

A volunteer high fives students after dancing with Little Priest Singers.

Rume’Lee Rooks, a dancer with México Indígena, wears a headdress during a performance.

Jesus Avila, founder of México Indígena, sports a traditional handmade headdress.

A dancer with Little Priest Singers performs with rings emulating the wings of an eagle.

Dancers with Little Priest Singers wear different colored regalia to represent their tribes.

Dancers and drummers with México Indígena perform.

Audience members applaud during an Indigenous Peoples’ Day program at Milwaukee Public Museum.

A dancer with Little Priest Singers performs in what is known as fancy regalia.

Dancers with Little Priest Singers and volunteers dance during an Indigenous Peoples’ Day program.

Dancers and drummers with México Indígena and volunteers dance together.

Dancers with Little Priest Singers perform. Each dancer wears different types of regalia based on which tribe they are a member of. In Wisconsin there are 11 federally recognized tribes along with members from other tribal nations.

Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.

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Milwaukee celebrates Indigenous Peoples’ Day

by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
October 13, 2025

<h1>Milwaukee celebrates Indigenous Peoples’ Day</h1>
<p class="byline">by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service <br />October 13, 2025</p>

<p>Milwaukee Public Museum welcomed students and community members to a Indigenous Peoples' Day celebration on Monday, Oct. 13. Dancers and drummers with México Indígena performed traditional Aztec dances during the event. </p>
<p>The Ho-Chunk drum group Little Priest Singers also performed with several dancers who showcased different types of powwow dances. Indigenous Peoples' Day highlights indigenous cultures, traditions and history. </p>
<div class="wp-block-columns alignwide is-not-stacked-on-mobile">
<div class="wp-block-column">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_3452-681x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-133164" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Rume’Lee Rooks, 13, a dancer with México Indígena, performs a traditional Aztec dance.</figcaption></figure>
</p></div>
<div class="wp-block-column">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_7384-684x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-133165" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Emily Garcia, 15, a dancer with México Indígena performs a traditional Aztec dance.</figcaption></figure>
</p></div>
</p></div>
<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_7456-1024x684.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-133170" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Little Priest Singers dedicates a song to veterans.</figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_3587-1024x681.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-133173" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A volunteer high fives students after dancing with Little Priest Singers.</figcaption></figure>
<div class="wp-block-columns alignwide">
<div class="wp-block-column">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_7301-1024x819.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-133171" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Rume’Lee Rooks, a dancer with México Indígena, wears a headdress during a performance.</figcaption></figure>
</p></div>
<div class="wp-block-column">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_3490-1024x819.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-133172" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Jesus Avila, founder of México Indígena, sports a traditional handmade headdress.</figcaption></figure>
</p></div>
</p></div>
<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_7641-1024x684.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-133168" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A dancer with Little Priest Singers performs with rings emulating the wings of an eagle.</figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_7496-1024x684.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-133176" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Dancers with Little Priest Singers wear different colored regalia to represent their tribes.</figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_7320-1024x684.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-133175" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Dancers and drummers with México Indígena perform.</figcaption></figure>
<div class="wp-block-columns alignwide are-vertically-aligned-bottom">
<div class="wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-bottom">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_7366-1024x684.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-133179" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Audience members applaud during an Indigenous Peoples' Day program at Milwaukee Public Museum.</figcaption></figure>
</p></div>
<div class="wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-bottom">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_7477-684x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-133178" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A dancer with Little Priest Singers performs in what is known as fancy regalia.</figcaption></figure>
</p></div>
</p></div>
<div class="wp-block-columns alignwide">
<div class="wp-block-column">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_7532-1024x684.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-133183" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Dancers with Little Priest Singers and volunteers dance during an Indigenous Peoples' Day program.</figcaption></figure>
</p></div>
<div class="wp-block-column">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_3386-1024x681.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-133182" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Dancers and drummers with México Indígena and volunteers dance together.</figcaption></figure>
</p></div>
</p></div>
<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_3523-1024x681.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-133181" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Dancers with Little Priest Singers perform. Each dancer wears different types of regalia based on which tribe they are a member of. In Wisconsin there are 11 federally recognized tribes along with members from other tribal nations.</figcaption></figure>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />
<p><em>Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.catchlight.io/local"><em>CatchLight Local&nbsp;</em></a><em>and&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.reportforamerica.org/"><em>Report for America</em></a><em>.</em></p>
<p>This &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://milwaukeenns.org/2025/10/13/milwaukee-celebrates-indigenous-peoples-day/&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; first appeared on &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://milwaukeenns.org&quot;&gt;Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service&lt;/a&gt; and is republished here under a &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/&quot;&gt;Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;img src=&quot;https://i0.wp.com/milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/cropped-NNS-Favicon.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;amp;ssl=1&quot; style=&quot;width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;&quot;&gt;</p>
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Milwaukee celebrates Indigenous Peoples’ Day

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