for storage and handling of the objects. When museums adhere to these requests, they

discard their past role as "owner" of Native collections and instead adopt a stewardship

role. These changes in collections practices have the potential to act as a foundation for

more involved museum/Native collaboration.

             Exhibition and Issues of Representation Post-1990s

Issues of Representation

       Since Native protests erupted in reaction to past museum exhibition methods,

museums have increasingly sought out Native participation in exhibition planning. The

National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) has provided a valuable model of

Native representation for all museums. After Native American lobbying efforts were

aimed at the Smithsonian's exclusive exhibition and collections management policies, a

bill was signed to reposition the Smithsonian's Native artifacts, through the creation of

the National Museum of the American Indian. The first location opened in New York City

in 1994, and ten years later the NMAI opened on the National Mall in Washington D.C.

Its placement is powerful; one can view the Capitol dome from the north windows of the

museum resource center; likewise, the U.S. officials entering the Capitol Building have a

constant reminder that American Indians are an active part of the American

constituency. In addition, NMAI is a significant destination for the American people; it

legitimizes the Native American experience and gives Native voices agency and power

in the narrative of American history.

      The post-1990 movement had a goal to include significant levels of Native input

in the exhibition of Native collections and culture. Such goals are embodied in NMAI.

These initiatives include providing a platform for Native self-representation, enhancing

Native agency in the articulation of objects, and addressing contemporary Native issues