THE FREE LANCE-STAR
eSTABLISHED by an act of Con- gress in Novem- ber 1989, the National Museum of the American Indian's flagship facility will finally take its place among the Smithsonian's other museums on the National Mall in Washington Tuesday.
The museum is a monument to the changing lives and cultures of the diverse peoples native to the Western Hemisphere.
It would be impossible for the museum to represent every tribe in the Americas in its exhibitions--there are 562 federally recognized tribal governments in the United States alone. But the museum's exhibits capture the diversity of the communities that fall under the comprehensive label "American Indian."
Those looking for scientific theories or anthropologists' analyses shouldn't bother showing up.
Three main exhibits--"Our Universes: Traditional Knowledge Shapes Our World," "Our Peoples: Giving Voice to Our Histories," and "Our Lives: Contemporary Life and Identities"--present American Indian culture through the Indians' point of view.
The exhibits were created after extensive consultation with 24 native tribes over a period of 2 years, said Linda St. Thomas, who works in the Smithsonian's public affairs office. The eight groups included in each exhibit will be rotated regularly.
The starry ceiling above "Our Universes" illustrates the astral bodies that native peoples use to establish annual celebrations. The exhibit examines how natives' natural surroundings govern their spirituality.
Indians chronicle their own histories in "Our Peoples," where museum visitors may learn how different cultures fought to carry on their customs.
"Our Lives" explores how American Indians reconcile traditional cultures with the modern-day influences that shape their identities in the 21st century.
In addition, "Native Modernism: The Art of George Morrison and Allan Houser" will be shown in the temporary art gallery through fall 2005. Works by other native artists, called landmark objects, will be displayed in public areas. "Window on Collections: Many Hands, Many Voices" will exhibit more than 3,500 artifacts in mini-displays arranged in seven categories.
Approximately 8,000 of the museum's 800,000 artifacts are on display, St. Thomas said. Exhibit pieces cover 10,000 years of history. Other objects are housed at the museum's Cultural Resources Center, a storage and research facility in Maryland, and at the George Gustav Heye Center in New York, a permanent branch museum of the NMAI.
Museum staff, one-third of which have American Indian heritage, also involved native communities in designing the building.
The five-floor museum, constructed with numerous curves, is covered in Kasota dolomitic limestone that appears as if it has withstood centuries of exposure to the elements.
Other featured architectural elements include a domed atrium called the Potomac, which is the main gathering area in the museum; south-facing prisms that cast rays on copper panels on the interior of the Potomac; and an entrance that faces the rising sun to the east.
The museum also includes an orientation room, two theaters and a resource center to accommodate extensive public programming. The museum's Mitsitam Cafe will offer traditional American Indian foods.
The museum's 4.25-acre site lies next to the National Air and Space Museum. Three quarters of the grounds are covered with 34,000 plants, divided into four botanical habitats.
The array of plants highlights the strong relationship between native peoples and the outdoors.
Forty giant "grandfather rocks" are located outside among other features that include cardinal direction markers, water elements, an outdoor theater, and a fire pit and offering area.
The giant boulders were blessed by a group from the Montagnais First Nations of Quebec before they were transported from Alma, Quebec, to Washington, where they were welcomed by a member of the Monacan Nation of Virginia.
"Other museums collaborate with the subjects of their exhibitions," St. Thomas said.
What sets the NMAI apart from its brethren is that consultation has never taken place on such a large scale.
American Indians made it clear they wanted to be portrayed not as historical relics, but as vibrant groups with a strong contemporary culture, St. Thomas said.
The museum embraces the challenge of presenting the historical and contemporary achievements of such diverse communities under one roof with fluidity and enthusiasm.
"On the most basic level, we expect [museum visitors] to walk away saying 'Wow, wasn't that a beautiful building and beautiful objects,' " St. Thomas said. "I think they'll walk away feeling like it was a whole different experience."
To reach EMILY GILMORE: 540/374-5426 egilmore@freelancestar.com