Daniel Kahikina Akaka, who died today at the age of 93, was the first Native Hawaiian to serve in the U.S. Senate. In 2013, shortly after he retired, he spoke with the museum about his determination to protect the languages, cultures, and traditions of the world's Indigenous peoples; support for Hawaiian self-determination; and hopes for Native Hawaiian young people. We're republishing Sen. Akaka's interview tonight in remembrance of his life of service.
Caroline Monnet—a multidisciplinary artist with roots in Algonquin, Quebecois, and French culture—talks about her background, artists she admires, the challenges contemporary Native artists face, and the hopes she and her colleagues in the ITWÉ Collective have for their art, including the installation "Manifestipi": "Our intention was to create a place of gathering where dialogue would be central to the experience. I think we’ve managed to achieve that. Each person comes out of the experience with a different perspective or take on the work. It is fantastic when an artwork becomes an experience."
In 1847, only 14 years after their long, sad march along the Trail of Tears ended, Choctaw people in Oklahoma learned of the Irish famine. With great empathy, Choctaw individuals made donations totaling $170, the equivalent of several thousand dollars today, for the relief of the Irish poor. Here Judy Allen, historic projects office of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, describes “an act that shaped tribal culture" and the lasting friendship it created between the two nations.
A new multimedia presentation surrounding the monumental sculpture "Allies in War, Partners in Peace" at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington details the Oneida Nation's aid and support to the American Revolution. “This enhanced interpretation provides an immersive experience for visitors to understand the country's rich history, so that there is a deeper understanding of the nuance, texture and depth of that history,” says Oneida Nation representative Ray Halbritter. “This exhibit commemorates the friendship that was forged between the Oneida Nation and the United States during the Revolutionary War, as well as the incredible sacrifices made by our ancestors during the founding of our country.”
Teachers often struggle, through no fault of their own, to locate culturally appropriate and historically accurate teaching materials about American Indians. Many textbooks, popular media, and prepackaged curricula relegate American Indians to the distant past and fail to illustrate the dynamic and diverse cultures of Native America. The National Museum of the American Indian—through the national education initiative Native Knowledge 360°, Teacher-in-Residence (TIR) Program, and outreach to educators—wants to change all that.
Michael Smith (Fort Peck Sioux Tribe), the founder and director of the American Indian Film Institute and American Indian Film Festival, was an advocate for Native people and a leader in bringing their voices to mainstream media through film. His dedication to showcasing films by or about American Indians and First Nations people was tireless. He could be seen at conventions, film festivals, tribal communities—even at local diners—where he would chat with anyone about his loves: the American Indian Film Festival and his family.
Written on paper from an army ledger book, the Navajo Nation Treaty reunited the Navajo with a portion of the land taken from them by the U.S. government. Between 1863 to 1866, in an event that became known as the Long Walk, the United States forced more than 10,000 Navajo from their homelands to a resettlement camp at Bosque Redondo, 300 miles to the east. But the Navajo made an eloquent case to return home and in 1868 negotiated a treaty that reversed their removal. The original treaty is on view at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., through early May.
The competition to design the National Native American Veterans Memorial received more than 120 submissions, from artists across the world. Five concepts were unanimously chosen as finalists by a jury of Native and non-Native artists, designers, and scholars. Today, the designers shared their concept drawings for the memorial and the ideas and experiences that shaped them.
Images of American Indians are embedded in Americans' everyday lives and have been since before the American Revolution. What other nation in the world is so fascinated by one segment of its society? And what can we learn about ourselves and our history by thinking about why? One of the curators of the "Americans," opening January 18 at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., gives a brief introduction to a few of the ideas behind the major new exhibition.
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![Kevin Gover, director of the National Museum of the American Indian, and Ray Halbritter, Oneida Indian Nation representative and CEO of Oneida Indian Nation Enterprises, at the dedication of the new interpretive sound, light, and imagery around the sculpture “Allies in War, Partners in Peace.” (Katherine Fogden [Mohawk], National Museum of the American Indian)](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/VuwWkyQ85kJC4DTPgkNjuFjM3VI=/150x150/filters:focal(711x336:712x337)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/blogging/featured/Oneida_dedication_2018-03-15_1500w.png)
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