About the Book
Long before the striking new National Museum of the American Indian opened its doors on the National Mall, a deeply held belief existed that there should be a place in the capital, among the monuments to America’s history and cultural achievements, where Native peoples could interpret their experiences and celebrate their contributions to our shared heritage. In Spirit of a Native Place: Building the National Museum of the American Indian, ten people who played key roles in NMAI’s creation describe the ideas that shaped the museum.

Founding Director W. Richard West, Jr. (Southern Cheyenne) recalls his childhood in Oklahoma and the experiences that shaped his commitment to honoring the history of the Native America and helping to sustain its living communities. George Horse Capture (A’aninin) recounts the early consultations with Native cultural leaders, meetings that defined the museum’s mission. Architect Johnpaul Jones (Cherokee/Choctaw), ethnobotanist Donna House (Navajo/Oneida), and artist Ramona Sakiestewa (Hopi) describe the Native symbols and concepts reflected in the Mall building’s architecture, and the collaborative creative process behind the museum’s design. Other writers include longtime curator Mary Jane Lenz, on George Gustav Heye, the wealthy New Yorker whose unsurpassed collections form the cornerstone of the museum’s exhibitions and research; Liz Hill (Red Lake Band of Chippewa), on the museum’s new Cultural resources center in Maryland; Heye Center Director John Haworth (Cherokee), on Native contributions to New York City; and NMAI Deputy Director Douglas E. Evelyn, on the rediscovery of the museum’s corner on the National Mall as a Native place.

Many of the illustrations are architectural photographs and drawings, historic images, and photographs of objects that are key to the Mall building's design. Duane Blue Spruce (Laguna Pueblo), NMAI's architectural liaison, edited this book.

Specifications
192 pp.; 100 illustrations; 8 x 10 in.
Copublisher: National Geographic Society

Pricing
NMAI Members:
$19.20 softcover (ISBN 0-7922-8214-0)
Smithsonian Members:
$21.60 softcover (ISBN 0-7922-8214-0)
Non-Members:
$24.00 softcover (ISBN 0-7922-8214-0)