"The sand-toned, curved limestone walls of the new National Museum of the American Indian make it the most sensuous and serene structure on the Mall, a powerful and immediate sign that this nation's roots lie deeper than Roman temples and English gardens.

But as alluring a reminder as this building is of who was here first, the inside of the museum - the story it tells - is an exercise in intellectual timidity and a sorry abrogation of the Smithsonian's obligation to explore America's history and culture.

The exterior of the Indian museum deserves to rocket to the top of the list of Washington must-sees. But inside, the three main exhibits fail to confront the clash between foreign colonists and the native people they found here. There is no effort to trace Indians' evolution from centuries of life alone on this land to their place in reservations and among the rest of us today."

Get the Story:
Marc Fisher: Lost opportunity? (The Grand Forks Herald 9/26)

Relevant Links:
National Museum of the American Indian - http://www.nmai.si.edu

Related Stories:
Take a sneak peek at the new NMAI in Washington (9/16)
Natives get ready to descend on DC for NMAI fest (9/16)
Non-recognized Virginia tribes welcome NMAI opening (9/16)
NMAI curators seek to translate culture for visitors (9/15)
Agua Caliente Band among largest donors to NMAI (9/15)
Politics on tap for NMAI grand opening week (9/14)
New NMAI nears grand opening in Washington, DC (9/13)
Eastern Cherokees choose 10 events for NMAI exhibit (9/14)
New NMAI nears grand opening in Washington, DC (9/13)
Navajo ethnobotanist part of NMAI design team (9/9)
California tribe featured in opening NMAI exhibit (9/8)
Gaming tribes donated big money for new NMAI (9/8)
New Indian museum to be open to ceremonies (08/19)
NMAI prepares to welcome Native people to DC (08/10)
Use of pipestone at new NMAI prompts complaints (8/6)
New Indian museum in DC promises to be 'different' (8/2)
New NMAI includes focus on urban Indians (07/28)
NMAI: From saving Indians to honoring them (03/18)
Week long festival planned for NMAI opening in Sept. (01/16)