The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian is located on the National Mall in Washington, DC and exhibits Native American artifacts from ancient pre-Columbian civilizations during the 21st century. The museum opened in 2004 and is one of the most architecturally interesting structures in the area. The 250,000-square-foot building is clad in Minnesota Kasota limestone, giving the building the appearance of a layered stone mass that has been carved out by wind and water. In 2016, an advisory committee was formed to plan a National Monument to Native American Veterans to be built on the museum grounds.
The memorial will honor the immense contributions and patriotism of Native Americans in the United States Armed Forces.
The National Museum of the American Indian uses multimedia presentations, live performances, and hands-on demonstrations to bring the history and culture of Native American peoples to life. Special programming includes movies, music and dance performances, tours, lectures, and craft demonstrations. Seasonal events are scheduled throughout the year.
Location
4th St. and Independence Ave., SW. Washington, DC
The closest metro stations are L’Enfant Plaza, Smithsonian and Federal Triangle.
See a map and directions to the National Mall
Museum hours: 10 am to 5:30 pm daily; closed on December 25th.
The Lelawi theater
A 120-seat circular theater located on the fourth level presents a 13-minute multimedia experience entitled “Who We Are.” The film offers great orientation for visitors and examines the diversity of the Native peoples of America.
Permanent exhibitions
- “Our Universes: Traditional Knowledge Shapes Our World”: The exhibition, which is organized around a solar year, explores the annual ceremonies of native peoples as windows to ancient native teachings. While under the exhibition’s star-filled “night sky”, visitors can discover how celestial bodies shape the daily lives of native peoples, as well as set calendars for ceremonies and celebrations.
- “Our lives: contemporary life and identities” – The exhibition examines the identities of native peoples in the 21st century and how those identities, both individual and communal, are shaped by deliberate choices made under difficult circumstances. People are influenced by the world around them, their families and communities, the language they speak, the places where they live and identify with and by customs and beliefs.
- Imaginations Activity Center: the ideal space for families is aimed at children under 12 years of age and offers hands-on activities, interactive games, storytelling programs and craft workshops. Explore traditional native dwellings, compete against family and friends in an interactive contest, experience different modes of transportation and indigenous sport, weave a giant basket, and learn about the history of basket weaving.
Dining in the museum
Dining at the Mitsitam Native Foods Café is a real treat. The cafe offers a menu that changes quarterly for each of the five geographic regions that cover the entire Western Hemisphere: Northern Woodlands, South America, Northwest Coast, Mesoamerica, and Great Plains. Menus include items such as Maple Brined Turkey with Cranberry Sauce (Northern Woodlands), Chicken Tamale in a Corn Shell with Peanut Sauce (South America), Cedar Fire Roasted Juniper Salmon Platter (Northwest Coast) ) and yellow corn tortilla or soft flour tacos with meat (Mesoamerica).
See more about restaurants and restaurants Near the National Mall.
Gift shop
The Roanoke Museum Store is a great place to find unique gifts and offers a wide variety of crafts, books, music recordings, souvenirs, and toys. The store’s merchandise includes items such as Navajo alabaster sculptures, Peruvian ceramics, original Pendleton items (blankets and bags), Inuit sculptures, textile fabrics made by the Mapuche fetishes of Chile and Zuni. The store also features Yup’ik ivory carvings from Alaska, Navajo rugs, Northwest Coast carvings and textiles, Lakota dolls, Cheyenne bead necklaces, and silver and turquoise jewelry.
Official website : http://www.nmai.si.edu
Attractions near the National Museum of the American Indian
- Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
- Botanical Garden of the USA
- United States Capitol
- National Gallery of Art
- Smithsonian Hirshhorn Museum
