Keywords: American Indian, Native American, American Indian museum, Native American museum, National Museum of the American Indian, American Indian culture, American Indian artifacts
In an effort to move its museum to the people, the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian is showcasing its collection of 800,000 artifacts online, reports The Washington Post. The virtual museum will allow scholars, teachers and people interested in American Indian culture, particularly people among native communities, access to information and pictures of rare items from the past.
"Most Americans will never see the Smithsonian, and Native Americans aren't any different," Kevin Gover, the museum's director, told the Post. "Quite simply, given we know most native people will never visit any of our three museums . . . we wanted to provide this experience." The museum currently has three locations: Washington, D.C., New York and Maryland. Gover said that while many people in native communities don't have the money to travel, most reservations and schools have Internet access and satellite technology.
The museum will launch its online exhibit on Monday, starting with 5,500 items from its collection. It expects to take about four years to get the entire collection online. So far, a total of $750,000 has been raised for the project.
Click here to read the full story in The Washington Post.
Click here to visit the web site of the National Museum of the American Indian.
Click here to read "Recruiting Top American Indian Talent: The Unique Blend" on DiversityInc.com.
