2004: The National Museum of the American Indian opens
On September 21, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian opens to the public to celebrate the art and cultures of American Indians. More than 80,000 spectators come to the National Mall to watch a procession of Native nations, represented by 25,000 Native peoples—most in full dress regalia—from across the U.S. and the rest of the Western Hemisphere. The streets along the National Mall are closed for hours as the procession wends its way back to the museum, located 400 yards from the U.S. Capitol.
- Theme
- Federal-Tribal Relations
- Region
- Arctic, California, Great Basin, Great Plains, Hawai‘i, Northeast, Northwest Coast, Plateau, Southeast, Southwest, Subarctic
Cheyenne chiefs gather with thousands of other American Indians on the National Mall for a Native nations procession to dedicate the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, Washington, D.C., September 21, 2004
Courtesy Associated Press
Andrew Old Elk, Crow, passes in front of the National Museum of the American Indian during celebrations at the grand opening of the museum on September 21, 2004
Courtesy Reuters/Jason Reed