National Museum of the American Indian - a different kind of America
The latest addition to the Smithsonian, the National Museum of the American Indian opened its doors in 2004 to the public. Its building was designed with consultation from many Native American experts to evoke the traditions of many tribes: for example, the entrance faces East on the National Mall, towards the rising sun; the golden-colored limestone exterior mimics natural rock formations formed by wind and water; and the museum sits on wetlands and 40 “grandfather rocks” or boulders.
Inside, the museum features nearly 8,000 objects on its permanent collection. The exhibits are divided into “Our Universes,” “Our Peoples” and “Our Lives.” These exhibitions are complemented by the “Identity by Design”, “Window on Collections” and “Return to a Native Place”.
“Our Universes” explores Native American astrology and spiritual relationships between mankind and the natural world. “Our Peoples” discusses Native American struggle to maintain tradition and identity in the face of adversity. “Our Lives” focuses on 21st century Native American identities and how their choices shaped who they are today.
“Identity by Design” features women’s clothing, dresses and accessories through history and how women’s artistic skills contributed to families and community. “Window on Collections” showcase nearly 3,500 animal-themed figurines and objects, beadwork, containers, dolls, peace medals, projectile points and ritual cups. Lastly, “Return to a Native Place” educates visitors on the history and present-day Indians of the Chesapeake region, now today’s Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia.
Two museum shops - the Chesapeake Museum Store and the Roanoke Museum Store - sell Native arts and crafts, souvenirs, books, recordings and other merchandise. There’s also a Zagats-rated café, Mitsitam Native Foods Café, which features foods based on Native American culinary traditions from five geographic regions.
Posted by Rin-rin Yu
