First Name:
Rose
Last Name:
Buchanan
Major Department:
Public History
Thesis Director:
Andrea Burns
Date of Thesis:
May 2013
A project over fifteen years in the making, the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) in Washington, D.C., opened in 2004 to decidedly mixed reviews from the public. Critics claimed that the museum avoided the history of European colonization and that its displays were arranged haphazardly and without context. Advocates countered that the NMAI’s unique approach to interpretation and organization was part of its overall program to expose visitors to American history from the Native perspective and to promote a deeper understanding of Native culture. This paper analyzes the various reactions to the NMAI in the context of past representations of Native Americans in museums and popular media. It examines the historical origins of common stereotypes of Natives, the manifestations of these stereotypes in everything from books to museums, and the ways in which the NMAI challenges the stereotypes by interpreting Native history and objects in unique ways.