Sauron
05-31-2005, 02:18 AM
I went there (http://www.nmai.si.edu/index.cfm) on Friday while I was in Wash DC. Amazing place. It's the newest Smithsonian annex building.
There is a section that is constantly maintained; it covers the pre-Columbian history, the impact of Europeans, a sampling of tribal histories and modern developments, etc.
The current exhibitions (http://www.nmai.si.edu/subpage.cfm?subpage=exhibitions&second=dc) included one I really liked, on how each tribal worldview shaped their interactions with the world. There were eight world views on life - Lakota, Anishinaabe, etc. You could really see how each way of life was framed uniquely.
One of the best parts was lunch. There is a native american cafe, with six different food courts, one from each region - Midwest/Plains, Mesoamerica, Eastern Woodlands, Pacific Northwest, etc. So you could sample authentic Indian dishes from each area.
I was truly impressed - museums can be such hit-and-miss propositions, that it was refreshing to see one that lived up to its press.
Oh, and I bought this:
There is a section that is constantly maintained; it covers the pre-Columbian history, the impact of Europeans, a sampling of tribal histories and modern developments, etc.
The current exhibitions (http://www.nmai.si.edu/subpage.cfm?subpage=exhibitions&second=dc) included one I really liked, on how each tribal worldview shaped their interactions with the world. There were eight world views on life - Lakota, Anishinaabe, etc. You could really see how each way of life was framed uniquely.
One of the best parts was lunch. There is a native american cafe, with six different food courts, one from each region - Midwest/Plains, Mesoamerica, Eastern Woodlands, Pacific Northwest, etc. So you could sample authentic Indian dishes from each area.
I was truly impressed - museums can be such hit-and-miss propositions, that it was refreshing to see one that lived up to its press.
Oh, and I bought this: