“A Tribute to Survival” Faces an Uncertain Future at Milwaukee Public Museum

Photo Credit:Milwaukee Public Museum / via WUWM 89.7 FM – “The future of Milwaukee Public Museum’s A Tribute To Survival exhibit,” May 2, 2024. Available at: WUWM article link.

Since 1993, the Milwaukee Public Museum’s A Tribute to Survival has stood as a living celebration of Wisconsin’s Native tribes. The rotating turntable of 37 life-sized figures in regalia was more than an exhibit — it was a promise that Native voices and traditions would always be seen.

But that promise has not been kept. The turntable has not functioned for years. According to an article in WUWM (May 2, 2024), original collaborators Carol and Diane Amour were shocked to learn that A Tribute to Survival was not included in the new museum’s plans for 2027.

Meanwhile, Milwaukee County has provided MPM with $3.5 million per year for general maintenance and upkeep. Yet to the best of our knowledge, the centerpiece of this exhibit has remained broken and the public has not been given clarity about its future.

Under the County-approved Disposition Plan, the exhibit could be classified as non-accessioned “personal property.” This means MPM may sell, repurpose, or even discard it, with no guarantee that the public will ever see it again.

While efforts are underway by community members to preserve the story through a documentary and possible virtual tour, the physical future of A Tribute to Survival remains unknown.

A Tribute to Survival was built to affirm that Native people are still here. Thirty years later, its uncertain fate raises hard questions about stewardship, accountability, and how public funds are being used.

Call to Action At a time when the public is being asked to trust the process, transparency and accountability are more important than ever. The people of Milwaukee deserve clear answers about what is happening to both the collections and the exhibits they have loved for generations. A Tribute to Survival and countless other pieces of our shared history should not be quietly dismantled without full public oversight.

The Milwaukee Public Museum is more than a building — it is a living legacy of the artists, taxidermists, and curators who built its extraordinary exhibits by hand. Their work belongs to all of us, and preserving it is an act of love for Milwaukee’s history and future. As new plans move forward, we are asking for full transparency about what is happening to every item in the museum we love — both collection and non-collection pieces, especially the exhibits and dioramas that generations have cherished.

For more information and ways to help, visit SaveMPM.org and PreserveMKE.org For the love of our museum — let’s not lose what can never be replaced.