The National Museum of the American Indian, Washington, D.C.
Learning from the original people of America
Learning from the original people of America
| Heidi M. Pascual* Publisher & Editor * 2006 Journalist of the Year for the State of Wisconsin (U.S.-SBA) |
I was in Washington, D.C. this past summer, and one of the very first places I visited was the
new Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI). I wanted to see the new
museum building and learn as much as I can about American Indian cultures through the
museum’s thousands of collections that spanned more than 10,000 years of Native heritage in
North and South America. I’d like to share with you this wonderful experience.
Located on the National Mall between the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum
and the U.S. Capitol Building, The National Museum of the American Indian has an imposing
look of rock and boulder formations. Designed by Douglas Cardinal (Blackfoot) and his team of
Native architects, the museum is an elegant fusion of Kasota stone’s natural and beautiful
roughness with the creative genius of its makers. As I stepped on the museum grounds along
Jefferson Drive, I immediately noticed the museum landscape that features a mini waterfall
flowing over boulders (known as “Grandfather Rocks”), a Cardinal Direction marker, and native
tree species. Further up and closer to the main entrance facing 3rd Street, S.W. was the wetlands
area with water lilies and buttonbush. A quick look at the other side of the museum along
Independence Avenue revealed indigenous plants including many varieties of corn and flowers,
and a sculpture of tepees called “Always Becoming.” These side areas were labeled cropland
and meadow. The building was therefore surrounded by four environments indigenous to the
Chesapeake Bay region.
As I entered the Main Entrance, I was greeted by a circular bronze structure that serves as the
seating area for visitors and the starting point of any tour of the museum. This particular place,
often a gathering place for many events, is called the Potomac Atrium. On display on the day of
my visit were different boats created by various Indian tribes. When I looked up, I could see the
four levels (or floors) of NMAI. I learned from the Resource Center that NMAI features permanent
exhibitions: “Our Universes,” on the 4th level, highlights Native beliefs; “Our Peoples” also on the
4th level, focuses on Native history; “Our Lives,” on the 3rd level, is about contemporary Native
life; and “Return to a Native Place,” on the 2nd level, describes the Native peoples of the
Chesapeake region.
There were many exhibit features that really caught my interest. For example, on the 4th level,
I enjoyed the film “Who We are,” at the Lelawi Theater. It was a history class in brief, which I think
should be shown in all schools in America. I noted the objects depicting the sun, the moon and
the stars, as well as the hundreds of guns shown in the “Our Peoples” corner. I couldn’t help but
think of how the Europeans influenced the Native peoples to use guns primarily to fight their
“enemies,” including foreign incursionists and other Native peoples as well. On the 3rd level’s
“Our Lives” exhibition, there was a “Bombardier,” a vehicle-like structure that was used for ice
fishing, and faces of Native peoples and paintings depicting the “Native American.” There were
different colorful boards of Native American habitats, describing locations and significant
customs and traditions.
I wished I had more time to absorb most of the learnings offered by NMAI. But in my short
visit, I learned more than I originally have knowledge of, about my Native American brothers and
sisters in the Americas. I specially noted the statement in the exhibits that says their ancestors
originally came from Asia.
Come to think of it, we are probably relatives, after all. I’m from Southeast Asia.
new Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI). I wanted to see the new
museum building and learn as much as I can about American Indian cultures through the
museum’s thousands of collections that spanned more than 10,000 years of Native heritage in
North and South America. I’d like to share with you this wonderful experience.
Located on the National Mall between the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum
and the U.S. Capitol Building, The National Museum of the American Indian has an imposing
look of rock and boulder formations. Designed by Douglas Cardinal (Blackfoot) and his team of
Native architects, the museum is an elegant fusion of Kasota stone’s natural and beautiful
roughness with the creative genius of its makers. As I stepped on the museum grounds along
Jefferson Drive, I immediately noticed the museum landscape that features a mini waterfall
flowing over boulders (known as “Grandfather Rocks”), a Cardinal Direction marker, and native
tree species. Further up and closer to the main entrance facing 3rd Street, S.W. was the wetlands
area with water lilies and buttonbush. A quick look at the other side of the museum along
Independence Avenue revealed indigenous plants including many varieties of corn and flowers,
and a sculpture of tepees called “Always Becoming.” These side areas were labeled cropland
and meadow. The building was therefore surrounded by four environments indigenous to the
Chesapeake Bay region.
As I entered the Main Entrance, I was greeted by a circular bronze structure that serves as the
seating area for visitors and the starting point of any tour of the museum. This particular place,
often a gathering place for many events, is called the Potomac Atrium. On display on the day of
my visit were different boats created by various Indian tribes. When I looked up, I could see the
four levels (or floors) of NMAI. I learned from the Resource Center that NMAI features permanent
exhibitions: “Our Universes,” on the 4th level, highlights Native beliefs; “Our Peoples” also on the
4th level, focuses on Native history; “Our Lives,” on the 3rd level, is about contemporary Native
life; and “Return to a Native Place,” on the 2nd level, describes the Native peoples of the
Chesapeake region.
There were many exhibit features that really caught my interest. For example, on the 4th level,
I enjoyed the film “Who We are,” at the Lelawi Theater. It was a history class in brief, which I think
should be shown in all schools in America. I noted the objects depicting the sun, the moon and
the stars, as well as the hundreds of guns shown in the “Our Peoples” corner. I couldn’t help but
think of how the Europeans influenced the Native peoples to use guns primarily to fight their
“enemies,” including foreign incursionists and other Native peoples as well. On the 3rd level’s
“Our Lives” exhibition, there was a “Bombardier,” a vehicle-like structure that was used for ice
fishing, and faces of Native peoples and paintings depicting the “Native American.” There were
different colorful boards of Native American habitats, describing locations and significant
customs and traditions.
I wished I had more time to absorb most of the learnings offered by NMAI. But in my short
visit, I learned more than I originally have knowledge of, about my Native American brothers and
sisters in the Americas. I specially noted the statement in the exhibits that says their ancestors
originally came from Asia.
Come to think of it, we are probably relatives, after all. I’m from Southeast Asia.
