National Museum of the American Indian (U.S.) Search this
Place:
Mall, The (Washington, D.C.)
Date:
September 28, 1999
Category:
Chronology of Smithsonian History
Notes:
Smithsonian Year 1999. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 2000, p. 37.
Summary:
The groundbreaking ceremony for the National Museum of the American Indian on The Mall in Washington, D.C., is held on 28 September 1999. In attendance are Smithsonian Secretary I. Michael Heyman, NMAI director Richard West, and representatives of many Native American tribes. The event included a blessing ceremony by Chief Billy Redwing Tayac of the Piscataway tribe. The building is based on a concept developed by Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, designed by Native American architect Douglas Cardinal, carried out by the architectural staff of the Smithsonian Institution.