The National Museum of the American Indian - Washington DC, is one of three locations that make up the National Museum of the American Indian, with two other museums located at Suitland, Maryland and Bowling Green, New York. The Washington D.C. location opened in 2004 long after I moved from the D.C. area. I have wanted to visit this museum for a couple of years, but just haven't seemed to find a suitable chunk of time to visit. I took a recent vacation to the city, setting aside ample time to drink in the many facets of this excellent museum (a member of the Smithsonian Institution).
The National Museum of the American Indian stands out on the Mall because of the unusual architecture designed by Douglas Cardinal (Blackfoot) with a team of Native American architects. The building exhibits an exotic cliff-like appearance made from Kasota stone, giving the building a very southwestern feel. I arrived before the building opened at 10 am. This gave me an opportunity to examine the grounds around the building which have many hidden treasures. Signs tell a bit of the history of the landscape and how Native Americans employed various wildlife for food, conveyance or shelter. A small wetlands lies on the East end of the building facing the Capitol Building (which is the next building East). Waterfalls scrub exterior rocks known as grandfather rocks. A sign tells the story of the grandfather rocks and challenges visitors to see how many they can count. The Cardinal Directions are marked with exterior markers. Sculptures created by Nora Naranjo-Morse of the Santa Clara Pueblo tribe can be found on the grounds.
The main entrance is located on the East face of the building. Upon entering the building, there were two lines leading to magnetometers and security officers who conducted a cursory search of bags before permitting entrance. The museum is designed (like the Holocaust Museum) to be explored from the top (fourth) floor down. Elevators located across the first floor lobby allow large groups to travel together to the fourth floor. As my wife and I meandered around the exhibits, I noticed that there were several groups of school children with a museum guide providing educational lectures. They seemed content to allow me to listen in to their various discussions.
The Fourth Level contains a theater called Lelawi Theater. The day I visited, all theaters were not operational. There are two major exhibits on this floor called Our Peoples exhibition and Our Universe exhibition. As you exit the elevators, a large window shows a variety of artifacts along with monitors to further explore the origins of the displayed items. Drawers below the windows contain many more hidden treasures. The Our Peoples exhibition was located to the right behind the window collection. This exhibit contained several circular and semi-circular exhibits filled with a variety of artifacts and documentary videos of indigenous people. A variety of weapons and ancient artifacts were on display. Exhibits on specific groups were interspersed, with a final display of gold and clay items that were centuries old. The gold had obviously been polished, but it seemed almost unbelievable to think such rare and valuable art with an unbelievably rich history had one time been pillaged...and even more surprising that such an amazing collection had survived the centuries. This exhibit focuses primarily on Native History.
A hallway divides the Our Peoples exhibit from the Our Universe, with an interesting statue called Allies in War, Partners in Peace by Edward Hlavka in a circular room at the end of the dividing hallway. This statue was a gift from the Oneida Indian Nation of New York. Past the small room housing the statue is the Our Universe exhibit, where the lights are dimmed and the ceiling painted and lighted to resemble the universe. The structures dividing the individual displays in this area seemed far more intricate. The videos and artifacts were not unlike the previous exhibition, but the layout, along with trimming that gave many of the exhibits the feel of a lodge or other native structure made the displays seem welcoming and homey. As you meander your way around the outer displays, you are brought back to the central wall, where several benches provide an opportunity to rest your feet while learning more from the exhibit. Most of the displays are interactive. After completing the circuit, you end up in the dividing hallway which leads back out to the elevators and stairs which lead down to the next level. This exhibit discusses Native Belief Systems.
Read More About The National Museum of the American Indian
No comments:
Post a Comment