Its mission statement emphasizes its intention to work closely with the Native communities of the region.

[3] Object collections at the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture are divided administratively into "Individually Catalogued Collections," which include typological collections of Southwestern textiles, pottery, baskets, jewelry, contemporary art, and artifacts chronicling the everyday life of New Mexico's long period of human habitation.

As the state repository for archaeological materials, the Museum has the responsibility to care for and maintain all artifacts excavated on state-owned land.

(As these artifacts are stored as "bulk" collections, and not catalogued individually, an exact count is unknown.

The museum has a regularly changing schedule of temporary exhibitions, which draw on the strengths of its collection.