National Museum of the American Indian

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD
SENATE
Sept. 21, 2004

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN

Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I rise today to celebrate the opening of the National Museum of the American Indian, the first national museum dedicated to the preservation, study, and exhibition of the life, languages, literature, history, and arts of the first residents of the Americas. This museum works in collaboration with the native peoples of the western hemisphere to protect and foster their cultures by reaffirming traditions and beliefs, encouraging contemporary artistic expression, and empowering the Indian voice. And since it was designed primarily by Native Americans, it is truly a first-hand look at both the history and future of indigenous American culture.

Fittingly, it is not a traditional museum, but rather a unique, living space, located in close proximity to nature. The building's design reflects the solar calendar and equinoxes, with an eastern orientation and entrance. Historical native stories are shared through the representation and interpretation of Indian cultures as living phenomena throughout the hemisphere. The NMAI is rich with imagery, connections to the earth, and historical meaning.

Washington state can be particularly proud of its tribes, which are well-represented. For example, an exhibit about original Native Treaties includes the 1855 Treaty of Neah Bay, which allowed the Makah Tribe to take whales from "accustomed grounds and stations." An exhibit about the contemporary lives of American Indians contains items from our very own Yakama Nation including a carton of Chief Yakama apples, a jar of Broken Spears pickled asparagus and a poster for the Yakama Nation Beauty Pageant.

Native Americans from other parts of the country who now call Washington State home also played important roles in designing this stunning new space. Johnpaul Jones, an architect of Choctaw and Cherokee heritage who lives in Seattle, was one of four project designers, and helped design and shape this museum to make it a dynamic place for all Americans to explore the contributions of American Indians to our culture.

Preston Singletary, a Tlingit artist who also lives in Seattle, contributed a piece to the exhibit "Our Universe," which focuses on American Indian cosmology and the spiritual relationship between the tribes and nature. His piece, a sand-carved glass, depicts the northwestern coastal legend of the "Raven Steals the Sun."

Today, as we welcome this wonderful new museum, let us also remember that as a nation, we must do more to fulfill the promises our country made to our native peoples. As a Senator who represents 29 tribes and a member of the Indian Affairs Committee, I will continue to work to see our nation meet these obligations, and to celebrate the contributions of Native Americans to our great Nation.