D.C. Museum of Indian hailed as long overdue

WASHINGTON — For generations the nation's capital has stood as a forlorn symbol for Native Americans, a place of treaties written and ignored, of promises made and broken, of betrayals large and small.

Today, though, thousands of Native Americans converging on the National Mall will confront a more optimistic symbol — the National Museum of the American Indian, the Smithsonian's newest museum and the last one to be built on the Mall.

Scores of events are scheduled today to commemorate the history and culture of American Indians. But Utah tribal nations are not prominently represented in the festivities, according to a listing of events.

No representative of the Goshute, Shoshone nor Southern Paiute tribes is listed among the scheduled presenters. One American Indian is listed as Navajo-Ute and two others as part Navajo, even though the Navajos are the largest American Indian tribe in the nation.

Historically, the Utes, the largest tribe in Utah, were the most powerful Indian nation in the Rocky Mountains. But they are apparently not powerful enough to warrant a prominent spot in today's celebration, which is dominated by Eastern tribes.

When the $209 million museum opens it doors, it will represent the end of a 15-year journey to build a monument to the contributions and culture of Native Americans.

Smithsonian officials estimate 4 million people will visit the museum each year, drawn to the 8,000 artifacts.

"It's a momentous occasion," said Seattle artist Preston Singletary, a Tlingit whose glasswork, "Raven Steals the Sun," is prominently featured in the museum. "It's been a long time coming, but the first shall come last."

The museum's exterior features Kasota limestone quarried from Minnesota and is rounded and layered to reflect the curves of the Earth, sun and moon. Inside, a montage of greetings in 150 Native languages is the first thing visitors see. In keeping with many Native traditions, the building faces east toward the rising sun and the Capitol building and is configured by the four cardinal directions.

The grounds surrounding the museum include 300 trees, including bald cypress, a wetland and such traditional crops as corn, beans, squash and plants used for medicinal purposes.

At every step, tribal leaders and other native experts were consulted to ensure accuracy. Tribal leaders even reviewed the cafe, where plank salmon is grilled over alder from the Northwest and other meals are cooked in traditional ways.