National Museum of the American Indian, DC

Not far from the Capitol Building, toward the top of The National Mall is the National Museum of the American Indian, which is one of the main museums we had wanted to see on this trip. Before entering the building we stroll around the gardens where examples of habitations, ovens, food and medicinal plants are on display.

Capitol Building DC

Outside gardens of the American Indian Museum

This Smithsonian museum building seems to have been inspired by the Cliff Dwellings of the American Southwest.

Front of Museum

Main entrance

We enter into a large atrium capped with a dome circled by prisms dripping rainbows down the walls and onto the floor below.

Dome at the top of the atrium

Rainbows on walls

and shining down on us.

The floor is a large circular amphitheater for Native American performers. The day we visited there we saw dancers and musicians.

Native American dancers

Native American drummer

After watching the performers we head up to the top floor so we can work our way down through the exhibits. The landing on the top floor has a large relief sculpture of dancers and masks.

The first set of exhibits are from the far north and northwest of North America. Inuit clothing is an amazing use of the animal skins they had to work with. A scientist once marveled that these cultures were far from primitive and instead made remarkable use of the materials they had to work with. In fact, it is now believed major migrations of Asian peoples spread down the Americas not just from an ancient land bridge during the last Ice Age, but also from the sea in kayaks and other sea going vessels hugging the coastline all the way down to the bottom tip of South America.

I was delighted to see my favorite legend of Raven Steals the Sun well represented.

Woman's parka

Kamleika - waterproof outer layer made from gut lining

Raven stealing the Sun

In fact, we could all benefit from adopting their tenets of spirituality.

The art works of our native tribes always fascinate me and the Smithsonian does not disappoint in displaying outstanding examples.

Beaded vest (North Plains?)

Southwest pottery

Southeast bead work & tomahawk

As we work our way down, we transition through Central America to South America. I am delighted to see a large panel of Huichol Indian art. My grandfather collected their spear points and told stories about them when I was a child.

Huichol panel The exhibits transition to the complex societies of Mesoamerican Cultures in Central and South America.

Aztec ruler

Complicated and efficient messaging system of Incas

Inca rope bridge

Their pottery and art are strongly rooted in the natural world.

Peruvian dog

Mexican skull

Jaguar mask

Snake jug

Snake bowl

Gourd & clay water bottle

Colla Dance belt made of parrot feathers from Bolivia

Surprisingly the one main exhibit that has stayed with me since our visit is a whole room of hundreds of treaties that the US Government made with different native tribes. All of these were broken one by one under the belief of Manifest Destiny. It's easy to see why our Native Tribes have such deep seated distrust of the white peoples who settled their lands.