New Smithsonian

September 22, 2004

Hey, does anyone know there’s “a new Smithsonian museum on the National Mall”:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A39949-2004Sep21.html?

The “National Museum of the American Indian”:http://www.nmai.si.edu/ opened yesterday. It’s located next to the old Air & Space Museum. There are four main galleries.

The first, “Our Universes,” is dedicated to cosmologies and traditions of various tribes. These are presented in a series of small alcoves, and each display was designed in close association with members of the tribes represented. They contain artifacts both old and new — and for some of these tribes, it’s the first time they’ve been able to tell the world about who they are.

The second, “Our Peoples,” is dedicated to American Indian history. There’s a central path through the exhibit tracing the holocaust from pre-conquistador days, through the attempted extermination, then forced assimilation of American Indians. Galleries to the side again focus on the more specific histories of different tribes. Again, these are curated in association with the tribes in question.

The third, “Our Lives,” is about modern American Indian lives and culture. This is a pretty disparate exhibit (and probably my favorite). It includes a small memorial to the World Trade Center — many Mohawk Indians worked in the construction of the WTC, and then in clearing the rubble. There’s also a couple of interesting displays on Indians living in the northern reaches of the Americas.

The fourth, “Native Modernism,” features modern art by George Morrison and Allan Houser. Surprisingly, this section is the most traditional and museum-like. Also, most of the collection is _on loan_, so if you’re interested in it now is the time to go see. I’m told that this gallery is the most likely to see extensive changes.

Although there are certainly plenty of artifiacts on display, the main purpose of the museum is to show that American Indians are still living and still hanging on to their culture.

[ For the New Yorkers who read this (I know there are a few) -- NMAI has had a presence in Manhattan for several years. You can visit the "Gustav Heye Center":http://www.nmai.si.edu/subpage.cfm?subpage=visitor&second=ny&third=hours. ]

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