I was a lawyer by trade. I had spent 25 to 30 years working in Indian law and policy. When you practice Indian law, you become an amateur historian, because so many of our cases are deeply rooted in the history of the particular tribe that we’re working with. You absorb by osmosis. Just being around and listening. But I never imagined myself being a museum director. The most important statement the museum makes is: “We’re still here.” We’ve had a history that contributes very importantly to not just the history of the United States, not just the history of the Western Hemisphere, but to the history of the world. There aren’t that many Indians in the U.S., and so we tend to get overlooked in many ways. And when we’re not overlooked, we tend to be misrepresented. Everything from Squanto to Tonto, you might say. And that’s been true in the museum world as much as anywhere. And so this museum has an opportunity to really correct the record and bring people to a better understanding of Native history and culture.Get the Story:
First Person: Kevin Gover, Director, National Museum of the American Indian (The Washington Post Magazine 9/22)
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