SmithsonianCampaign
SMITHSONIAN
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN
Leadership Message
I remember the occasional references
to American Indians in my public school
textbooks, accompanied by a photo of Indian
people standing on a rocky hillside dressed
in feathers and buckskin. Raised in Oklahoma
during the peak of the Indian Civil Rights
movement, I knew the truth was otherwise.
kevin gover
director
national museum of
the american indian
The National Museum of the American
Indian is redefining how Indians are
represented in the world. We are building
a foundation upon which tribal peoples can
take great pride in their heritage and achieve
their highest aspirations.
The history of the Western Hemisphere
is anchored in the past and present
accomplishments of Native people,
from the Arctic Circle to Tierra del Fuego.
We chronicle Native history and contemporary
contributions to humanity through our
museums in Washington, D.C., and lower
Manhattan, and in tribal partnerships that
span the globe.
The Smithsonian Campaign will help us
transform our education programs, produce
powerful exhibitions and build an unrivaled
collection. Your investments are key to our
success. Please join us as we retell America’s
whole story.
Thank you.
Our goal
$75 million
The National Museum of the American Indian
showcases inclusive American history through
tribal partnerships, a world-renowned collection,
rigorous scholarship and programs and museums
in Washington, D.C., and New York City. It also
celebrates the culture and art in contemporary
Native life. Through the Smithsonian Campaign,
the museum will endow important leadership
positions, strengthen exhibitions and expand
the scope of its educational programs.
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Case for Sup p ort
Redefine America’s Story
The museum has a
powerful new future,
which depends on
leadership and
commitment from
all those who value a
fuller, more accurate
American history.
2
Curator Emil Her Many Horses
examines a 19th-century tipi at
the museum’s Cultural Resources
Center in Suitland, Md. The tipi
was donated to the National
Museum of the American Indian
in 1945 by the widow of artist
and collector Edward Borein.
Endowment for Leaders and Programs
History in the Western Hemisphere begins with
American Indians. Throughout the region,
civilization stands on the accomplishments of
ancient societies, such as the Inkas and Iroquois.
Their communities were so complex and advanced
their walls still stand and their methods of governance
and agriculture are practiced still.
Today, there are an estimated 50 million indigenous
people from the Arctic Circle to Tierra del Fuego.
The National Museum of the American Indian is
uniquely positioned to chronicle their stories, as
well as the stories of their ancestors. Through the
campaign, the museum will endow positions for the
director, curators and fellows. New programming
will encourage global discussions about issues
important to Native people.
Exhibitions and Permanent Gallery
The museum has one of the most extensive
collections of Native American art and artifacts,
representing 12,000 years of history from more
than 1,200 indigenous cultures. The collection
ranges from ancient Paleo-Indian artifacts to
contemporary art pieces.
Gifts to the Smithsonian Campaign will enable the
museum to dramatically redesign its permanent
galleries to create compelling narratives. These
stories reveal the magnificent peoples and cultures
of the Americas prior to European contact and
illuminate the survival of Native peoples. The
museum will mount thematic exhibitions to
highlight the sophistication of these ancient
people and acquire contemporary art from across
the Americas.
National Education Initiative
Through its National Education Initiative, the
museum will collaborate with tribes and educational
organizations to bring the rich, complex story of
Native Americans to schools across the country.
It will produce new curricula and teaching
materials. Investments in the campaign will
allow the museum to become a global leader
in Indian scholarship. The museum also will
conduct professional training in conservation
and scholarship.
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Our Campaign Priorities
Through the
Smithsonian
Campaign, the
museum will
become a global
leader in education
and scholarship of
Native people in
the Americas.
Endowment for Leaders and Programs
The Smithsonian Campaign
Our goal is to create an endowment of $35 million for
leadership positions and programs ensuring the museum
remains at the forefront of scholarship of Native culture and
heritage. A gift of $5 million endows the directorship; gifts
of $3 million endow curatorial and fellowship positions.
will transform a national
Exhibitions and Permanent Galleries
inspire lifelong learning and
We seek $27 million for exhibitions and to redesign
our permanent galleries. A gift of $4 million funds an
endowment for special exhibitions. Gifts of $25,000
to $2 million fund a thematic exhibition, such as
Nation to Nation: Treaties between the United States
and American Indian Nations.
reach people everywhere.
National Education Initiative
overall goal.
treasure into a catalyst for
change. Please join us as
we raise $1.5 billion to spark
discovery, tell America’s story,
The National Museum
of the American Indian is
raising $75 million of the
Smithsonian Campaign’s
We seek $12.5 million for the National Education Initiative.
A gift of $2 million will fund an endowment for education
outreach. Gifts of $200,000 to $500,000 will fund
curriculum content modules based on exhibition research.
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Vochol® (combination of vocho a
Mexican term for VW Beetles,
and Huichol), was decorated by
indigenous artisans using more
than 2 million glass beads and fabric.
For more information, call 202.633.7040
or visit smithsoniancampaign.org.
SmithsonianCampaign
COVER The Chief’s headdress represents a killer
whale with a raven on his back, c. 1930 by
Chief Willie Seaweed. National Museum of
the American Indian (23/8252)
Smithsonian
National Museum of the American Indian
nmai.si.edu
office of advancement
MRC 590, PO Box 37012
Washington, DC 20013-7012
202.633.7040