DIRECTOR’S LETTER .............................


WE WILL ENDURE


A


s this issue of American Indian magazine reaches you, we remain in the midst of a global pandem- ic caused by the coronavirus. I can assure you that the National


Museum of the American Indian staff in and around Washington, D.C., and New York have not wavered from our responsibility to fulfill the museum’s mission. That mission, to foster a richer shared experience through a more in- formed understanding of Native peoples, is at the core of all that we do. Before we detail our current programs and the ways we will stay in touch, I want to say that my thoughts are with Indigenous people around the world as we grapple with the consequences of the health and economic crises unfolding around us. For Native people, epidemics are particu-


larly scary. Disease transmission from the first moments of Contact in the Americas has dramatically impacted Indigenous communi- ties across the globe, and its destructive effects continue. This pandemic will be no different: around the world—particularly in Indian Country—the toll will be great. Prior to the arrival of the coronavirus on reservations, the lack of adequate medical resources and health- care services was already dire. The closure of tribal businesses and slow economic recovery to follow will be felt for years to come. Our hearts are with people in Indigenous


communities, and we hope that this issue brings attention to the myriad of concerns related to the pandemic and its aftermath. The NMAI is a long-standing witness to the resilience of Native people and culture, and we will continue to amplify Indigenous voices and tell the story of this new chapter of endurance. In this issue, we honor Indigenous com- particularly journalists, pho-


municators,


tojournalists and photographers—some of whom are risking their lives right now to cov- er COVID-19. We provide behind-the-scenes looks at and excerpts from the “Developing Stories: Native Photographers in the Field” photo exhibitions (see pages 12 and 22), two of several exhibitions that you can tour on 6 AMERICAN INDIAN SUMMER 2020


Wiyot artist Rick Bartow (1946–2016) carved these 20-foot-tall red cedar poles entitled “We Were Always Here,” he says, as a testament to the strength and resilience of Indigenous people. They have been a welcoming sentinel at NMAI in Washington, D.C., since 2012. 26/8842


our website. We discuss how Indigenous media provide critical information to their communi- ties and elevate American Indian issues beyond Indian Country (see page 32). We also highlight our digital photo collection, a historical archive spanning more than a century of photography (see page 36). And we follow the journey of Board of Trustees Member G. Peter Jemison from artist to “cultural bridge” (see page 40). While at this moment we are still unable


to welcome visitors through our museum doors, NMAI continues to provide timely and informative content. We offer an abundance of engaging information online, from our NK360º educational materials (American- Indian.si.edu/nk360) to performances and symposia webcasts on our YouTube channel (youtube.com/user/SmithsonianNMAI). In addition, we offer four online exhibitions


featuring more than 150 objects from the NMAI collection


via the Google Arts


and Culture portal (artsandculture.google. com/partner/national-museum-of-the- american-indian). You can also browse the more than 50 titles in our online bookshop (AmericanIndian.si.edu/store) and 20 years of American Indian magazine (AmericanIn- dianmagazine.org). This summer, I invite you to enjoy all our


online resources available on AmericanIndian. si.edu and join the conversation on our social media channels. Thank you for your steadfast support. It has helped us to continue to con- nect and inspire people from every corner of the world with the richness of Native history and culture—past and present. X


Kevin Gover (Pawnee) is director of the National Museum of the American Indian.


PHOTO BY NMAI STAFF


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