NPR: Native Americans Gather for Opening of Museum [RealOnePlayer] http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=3929554 Ottawa architect won't attend Washington opening http://ottawa.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=ot_cardinal20040920 National Museum of the American Indian [Macromedia Flash Reader, Windows Media] http://www.nmai.si.edu/ Fast Facts: National Museum of the American Indian http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/09/0914_040913_indian_museum_information.html#main National Congress of American Indians [pdf] http://www.ncai.org/ Until recently, there was not a single monument dedicated to Native Americans in and around the numerous commemorative buildings, museums, statues, and other pieces of the built environment that dot the landscape in and around Washington, D.C. That all changed this week, as a host of festivities marked the dedication of the National Museum of the American Indian, located at the southeast corner of the Mall just east of the National Air and Space Museum. This historic event, which began on September 21st, marked the end of a 17-year effort by government officials and tribal leaders to bring such an institution to the nation's capital. Despite the misgivings of some (including those Native Americans who oppose the use of gambling funds to help construct the Museum), spirits ran high at the opening day of the celebration. The day began with a three-hour procession from the Smithsonian Castle to the front of the new museum, and included 25,000 representatives from the hundreds of tribes throughout the Americas. Perhaps one of the most honest and emotional sentiments of the day was expressed by Pamela Best Minick of the Cherokee and Pottawattamie tribes of Illinois, who remarked "It's more than all the colors, it's about coming home the way it should have been a long time ago." The first link will take visitors to a news article from Tuesday's New York Times that reports on the activities of the opening day of the new museum. The second link leads to a National Public Radio audio report on the museum, along with a photo gallery and an interview with the museum's director, W. Richard West. The third link leads to a new story from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Ottawa office that discusses the controversy over the absence of the museum's original architect (Ottawa architect Douglas Cardinal) at the opening celebrations. The fourth link leads to the homepage of the National Museum of the American Indian, which contains detailed information about the museum. Additionally, visitors can view a webcast of the opening ceremonies. For those persons looking for some brief highlights about the museum, the fifth link (offered by National Geographic) is a good place to start. Here visitors can learn about the building's architecture, its site location, its exhibits, and its hours of operation. The final link leads to the homepage of the National Congress of American Indians, which is the "oldest and largest tribal government organization in the United States".