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Opinion: NMAI exhibits barely scratch the surface
Monday, September 27, 2004
"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
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