As the golden sun rises over the U.S. Capitol, its first rays strike the gentle slope of the National Museum of the American Indian's shallow dome. It then illuminates the graceful curve of an extreme cantilever sheltering the outdoor welcoming area. This fluid, curvilinear building, reminiscent of a Western mesa, is not only golden by reflection, but intrinsically, as the rough-hewn Kasota stone retains its warm amber hue after the sun has passed. Click on "Full Story" to view entire Table of Contents.
As the golden sun rises over the U.S. Capitol, its first rays strike the gentle slope of the National Museum of the American Indian's shallow dome. It then illuminates the graceful curve of an extreme cantilever sheltering the outdoor welcoming area. This fluid, curvilinear building, reminiscent of a Western mesa, is not only golden by reflection, but intrinsically, as the rough-hewn Kasota stone retains its warm amber hue after the sun has passed.
The rising sun not only reveals a physical structure but shines its rays onto the long overlooked and immense contributions of the Native peoples of the Americas to the history and character of the United States and the Western Hemisphere as a whole, and the ongoing and increasingly vital role Natives are playing in shaping the future of the nation and hemisphere.
Continuing downward, the sunlight now reflects the image of the sun etched in the four pairs of glass doors at the building's main entrance: the eastern doors. The visitor has reached this point after entering the 4.25-acre site at its northwest corner and taking a pleasant clockwise stroll through an upland hardwood forest on the building's northern side and along a long, flowing water feature. In fact, the handsome museum structure itself occupies but one-quarter of the site. Donna House (Navajo/Oneida), the project's ethnobotanist landscape consultant, also incorporated wetlands, meadowlands and traditional farming fields around the building, demonstrating the diverse types of lands Native peoples of the local area thrived upon in the past. This attention to place was also honored by the placement, on the summer solstice of 2004, of four grandfather rocks from the cardinal points of the Western Hemisphere (the westernmost being Hawaii) at the four cardinal points of the museum grounds.
Upon entering the 350,000 square-foot museum, the Welcome Wall greets visitors in approximately 200 Native languages, conveying the diversity of Native peoples throughout the Americas. Inside, one is surrounded by the work of the other primary members of the project's design team: architects Johnpaul Jones (Cherokee/ Choctaw), Douglas Cardinal (Blackfoot), Lou Weller (Caddo), and artist Ramona Sakiestewa (Hopi). Cardinal, Jones and Weller were responsible for the structure, while Sakiestewa concentrated on interior design.
A 120-foot-wide rotunda, named Potomac, is capped by a domed skylight 120 feet high directly over an inlaid center piece, a disk of pipestone representing an abstraction of fire created by Travis Erickson (Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux). The four cardinal directions extend from this circle, as do the solstices and equinoxes, mapped in the floor with rings of black and red granite.
High in the south wall, a slender vertical window houses eight large prisms, each of which are sited to the sun for a particular time of day-a reflection of Native fluency with the cosmos and calendars. The Potomac's wall of copper bands is woven in a fashion echoing Native baskets and textiles, and even the elevators that lead to the exhibition floors sport sun symbols on the outside of their doors and bird motifs on the inside.
The museum's Mitsitam Café (which means "let's eat" in the Piscataway language) presents meals based on the rich variety of Native foods and diverse culinary traditions. By serving up the Native bounty of the Americas, this dining area overlooking the north grounds is an integral part of the museum's overall mission of education.
Next to the facility's Chesapeake Museum Store stands a 20-foot totem pole carved by Nathan Jackson (Tlingit). This icon's story is typical of the reciprocity within the entire fabric of the NMAI. In 2001 the museum repatriated a Bear Clan totem pole from its vast collection to the Saxman Tlingit, Cape Fox community. As a token of appreciation, the Cape Fox Native Corporation presented a 20-foot cedar log to NMAI. The museum then commissioned Jackson to carve the new totem pole, which connects the first-floor Chesapeake Store with the second-floor Roanoke Museum Store.
Encircling the ground-floor performance center in the heart of the Potomac is a series of six eight-foot bronze figures and eight ceramic masks by Roxanne Swentzell, a noted Santa Clara Pueblo sculptor. Within this figurative ring, two Native watercraft are under public construction. A Native Hawaiian canoe and an Inuit kayak are being built, demonstrating the beauty and utility by which diverse Native peoples have met the challenges of the natural elements.
The Lelawi Theater on the fourth floor offers a 13-minute multimedia introductory experience revealing the diversity of the Western Hemisphere's Native peoples. Lelawi is a Lenape (Delaware) word for "in the middle," an appropriate name for this futuristic theater, in which the floor and the theater's 40-foot dome become part of the screen presentation.
The museum's Main Theater, a 320-seat in-the-round space on the first floor, is enclosed by vertical wood paneling, giving visitors the feeling of entering a forest that then opens up to a bright night sky. Equipped with a dazzling array of multimedia projection systems and language-translation systems, this theater will present a wide variety of programs, from dance, music and drama to film festivals and storytellers.
The third and fourth floors house four large exhibition galleries. The inaugural Allan Houser and George Morrison exhibition will share these floors for the first year with the museum's three permanent exhibits: "Our Universes: Traditional Knowledge Shapes Our World," "Our Peoples: Giving Voice to Our Histories" and "Our Lives: Contemporary Life and Identities." Also, "Window on Collections: Many Hands, Many Voices" will present more than 3,500 objects from the museum's collection in a series of exhibitions on the third and fourth floors. Altogether, some, 8,000 objects from the museum's permanent collection will be on view for the museum's opening.
"With this new museum, the Smithsonian is keeping its pledge to Native peoples across the hemisphere to not only honor their traditions and achievements, but also to celebrate contemporary Native culture represented through art, dance, music, film, theater and so much more," concludes Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lawrence M. Small. "It's a significant addition to the nation's capital, and the nation itself."
The pantheon of Native peoples that is the National Museum of the American Indian on the Mall is one of movement. The Native Nations Procession on Sept. 21, 2004 (see sidebar) to open the museum is clearly the beginning movement of Native peoples telling their own stories. After centuries of outright physical assault and then political, religious, social, cultural and economic oppression, Native Americans are at last again standing tall. The new National Museum of the American Indian will both educate the general public about past and present Native life, and empower Natives with a sense of pride in their wide-ranging accomplishments in all realms of life. It represents a closing of the broken hoop of hope and life in Turtle Island and signals a new dawn in America. 
Gary Avey of Phoenix is the publisher and executive editor of Native Peoples, which he founded in 1987.
| NMAI Opening-Week Activities Opening Ceremony First Americans Festival The Festival Marketplace will offer arts and crafts, recordings, publications and other works made by Native artists. A Native food court will highlight Native foods of the Americas, including main dishes of corns, beans, squash, caribou and buffalo, as well as desserts. Some 20 artisans will demonstrate traditional musical-instrument making (from drums and rattles to flutes and fiddles), while some 15 people will demonstrate creation of regalia (from masks and moccasins to jingle dresses and Pueblo tablitas, or headdresses). A major concert on Sept. 21 at 5:30 p.m. will feature Buffy Sainte-Marie, Lila Downs, Rita Coolidge with Mary Youngblood, and Indigenous. Another concert kicks off at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25, featuring Star Nayea, the Pappy Johns Band and Keith Secola. Some 21 other musical groups are scheduled to perform during the festival, as well as 14 storytellers and eight dance troupes. For a complete performance schedule, visit www.AmericanIndian.si.edu. Museum Visitation For general information about visiting the NMAI or accessing its many outreach programs and projects, call 202/633-1000; write to NMAI, Fourth Street and Independence Ave. S.W., Washington, DC 20024; or visit www.AmericanIndian.si.edu. |
| NMAI Public Programs In addition to its exhibitions, the National Museum of the American Indian offers a wide range of public programs in partnership with Native peoples of the Western Hemisphere to educate audiences about Native histories, traditions, languages and cultural arts. The museum's public programs department offers a variety of events and services at both the George Gustav Heye Center in New York City and at the new museum on the National Mall. Educational Programs Cultural Interpreter Program: Native educators or cultural interpreters in the exhibition galleries will help explain the content in the exhibitions for scheduled groups and visitors to the museum. Discovery Carts: Cultural interpreters will use mobile "discovery carts" to facilitate interactive presentations for children and visitors. These carts will provide children with a hands-on learning experience about the tribes and communities that are represented in the museum's exhibitions. Potomac Center Demonstrations: The Potomac area, or large central gathering space in the heart of the museum, will provide a space for dynamic demonstrations for visitors. The first theme will be "Native Boat Building Traditions," offering visitors the opportunity to observe and talk to boat builders and their apprentices. Hawaiian dugout canoe and Inuit kayak building will be demonstrated during the opening months of the museum. Education Resource Materials: Educational materials are available to teachers nationwide to educate students about the contributions American Indians have made, and continue to make, in the arts and culture. Materials are currently being produced about the communities featured in the opening exhibitions and will include a "Museum Family Guide," a "Teacher's Guide," a "School Programs Guide" and an "Indians of the Mid-Atlantic Region Guide." In addition, through the museum's partnership with Scholastic Inc., an eight-page teaching guide has been developed and is available online under "Education" at www.AmericanIndian.si.edu. Classes and Workshops: Activity classes and hands-on workshops will provide unique opportunities for children and adults to learn about specific topics such as oral traditions, cultural designs, weaving and beadwork. Workshops will be offered on school days after December 2004 for students, and on evenings and weekends for teachers and adults. Native Playwrights: The museum will commission Native playwrights to script productions for the museum and will present contemporary plays by Native playwrights. Cultural Arts Programs and Demonstrations: Native performers, musicians, artisans and craftspeople, authors, poets, scholars, journalists and prominent spokespeople will be featured in programs and demonstrations for the general public and for targeted audiences. Programs at the Mall museum will include series titled "Native Spirit: Performing Arts" and "Native Voices: Native American Writers." Reaching Audiences Outside of the Museum: The Cultural Arts Program will also reach audiences outside of the museum walls through relationships with tribal colleges, other Native and non-Native community-based organizations and the public through touring programs, interactive electronic outreach programs, and, where available, videoconferencing.
Internship Program: Students (Native and non-Native) acquire skills in curating, research, public programming, exhibition development, external affairs and publications through a hands-on training program at the museum. Community-based Workshops: Topics include collections methods, exhibition development, repatriation and photographic documentation. Visiting Professional Program: Native professionals of many fields receive training at the museum in various fields. Resource Center Seminars and Symposia Film and Video Publications |
Community Service Programs
Rick West (Southern Cheyenne) grew up at Bacone College in Oklahoma, where his father taught art and portrayed traditional Cheyenne stories through his paintings. West received his B.A. from the University of Redlands, a master's degree in history from Harvard University and a law degree in 1971 from Stanford University. He is the founding director of the National Museum of the American Indian.
Native Peoples: On Nov. 28, 1989, nearly 15 years ago, the NMAI/Smithsonian existed only as one component of a highly complex three-way piece of legislation. Now in 2004, it is on the brink of opening its doors to the public. You have led this endeavor working under three different secretaries of the Smithsonian Institution (NMAI exists administratively under the Smithsonian's wing) and three different U.S. presidents; how would you characterize this journey?
Rick West: Long and unqualifiedly wonderful, yet not without moments of challenge. And I would really emphasize that they were "moments." Throughout this journey, there has been an air of destiny, an air of inevitability, which in turn makes all problems transitory. Certainly there were questions about tribal response, but the people came together. The great Oneida elder Oren Lyons told me, "We have a history of beating our own, but I pledge my support. This is a major opportunity not to be lost in political wars."
Fundraising challenges, of course, were a big part of the journey, but I have been so fortunate to have two of the best people possible as my colleagues directing the fundraising: first, John Colonghi (Aleut) and now Elizabeth Duggal Taghipour. As you recall, the original legislation required one-third of the funds to be raised privately, and over time the price of the building on the Mall actually doubled to $220 million. We raised $80 million in private funds to support those costs. In fact, in 1994, the $20 million appropriation for construction of our first building here in the Washington area, the Cultural Resource Center, was zeroed out of the budget. Only another gallant act by senators [Daniel] Inouye, [Ted] Stevens and [John] McCain got $13 million restored, and we then raised the remaining $7 million for the home of our collections. The portion we had originally planned on raising from Native American sources was $2.5 million, but when all was said and done, some $36 million in funds were from Native peoples.
NP: When you were chosen to lead this creation, your background as an advocate for Native rights was in the field of law, as opposed to being a museum professional. How do you feel your particular background has shaped NMAI's approach?
RW: My legal work in Washington had given me the advantage of knowing my way around Capitol Hill. I felt comfortable in the political climate of the Department of the Interior and the Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs. Secretary Robert McCormick Adams of the Smithsonian was looking for someone who could operate in both worlds. I had served on the board of directors of the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe in the 1970s, and my Cheyenne upbringing always led me to look beyond the museum to shape it: bottom-up and outside-in. I believe that expertise and authority sit outside the institution in Native peoples and communities. As a core value, we wanted to see the Native peoples interpreted as a cultural continuum across time up to the contemporary. Our public programs and exhibits are based on a first-person voice. Actually, the first three inaugural exhibits comprise 24 different communities from throughout the Western Hemisphere.
NP: The original consultations were quite unique in museum planning; will you tell us about them?
RW: Over the span of almost three years we conducted 25 to 30 visits to discuss our plans, but, more important, to listen to the views of the people. The groups assembled were regional at times, but we also visited groups by discipline, such as artists, educators and writers. Through these consultations we developed design and program information, formally characterized as "The Way of the People." With the exception of the South American meetings in Washington D.C., we went to the people in their lands for this exchange of ideas. We were also establishing our base with other institutions, American Indian higher education, public broadcasting, the BIA and other parties. The National Museum of the American Indian must always leverage its programs, by collaborating with other interested parties.
NP: On Oct. 30, 1994, the George Gustav Heye Center of the NMAI opened in New York. This fine facility served-and continues to act-as a preview of the new national center. Were you ready?
RW: NMAI had a very young staff and this was their first time out on the track. This was the opening of the first of the three physical facilities, but it was also a test approach-a check of public understanding. Everyone got caught up in the spirit of the event; in fact, if you recall, Senator Inouye even auctioned off the watch he was wearing during the live auction event.
NP: The opening of the Cultural Resource Center in Suitland, Maryland and transfer of the collection from New York completed the second facility accomplishment, did it not?
RW: Yes, and it was completed ahead of schedule, in March 2004. Bruce Bernstein, Scott Merritt and their most able colleagues accomplished an incredible feat, cataloging and bar-coding all objects, and conserving to a degree as they went. This CRC is the real revolution, a huge departure from typical museums. I believe it to be perhaps our most important long-term contribution. The CRC staff also serves as advocates of the living community's connection to the collection, overseeing research and training programs and coordinating traveling exhibits and loaned objects-what we call "the Fourth Museum" (see sidebar). As part of these efforts, we're constructing NMAI's own ramp to Webcasting. Inupiaq students in the Center studying materials can be linked to elders at home in real time. The digitized storage of information can link schools and the Cultural Center. Culture is maintained at the community level. Culture can't be saved in Washington, D.C.; it is saved in the community. And through the "Fourth Museum," we intend to bring the NMAI to Indian Country.
NP: On Sept. 21, 2004, you will open the third and final facility in the legislative mandate outlined almost 15 years ago, with a procession. Would it be fair to say that this procession will be emblematic of the NMAI's long journey to fruition?
RW: Quite true. At the opening there will be more Indian people in Washington, D.C. at one time than ever before in history. The procession will move from the original Smithsonian Institution "Castle" eastward through the National Mall to the new museum, moving as a collective body of inclusiveness, Indian and non-Indian, with our cardinal colors respecting the diversity existing in the same sphere. It will be a thrilling moment.