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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2002

Rick West is the director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, overseeing a space on the Washington, D.C., mall that will house the nation's premiere collection of Indian culture.

But according to a Washington Post profile, his D.C. home contains some impressive pieces of its own. West, a member of the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribe of Oklahoma, and his wife Beth, a State Department official, have filled it with items from all parts of Indian Country.

The prized possession is a carving by West's father. Dick West, who died in 1996, was known by his Indian name Wah-Pah-Nah-Yah.

The museum on the mall will open in September 2004. West has raised nearly $100 million, with $30 million to $40 million coming from tribes.

Get the Story:
Tribal Connections (The Washington Post 10/17)

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

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