This major exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian opened in 2018. It explores how American Indians have shaped U.S. history, national consciousness, and contemporary experience. American Indian images, names, and stories infuse American life. The images are everywhere, from the Land O’Lakes butter maiden to the Cleveland Indians’ mascot. American Indian names are everywhere too, from state, city, and street names to the Tomahawk missile. And the familiar historical events of Pocahontas’s life, the Trail of Tears, and the Battle of Little Bighorn remain reference points in everyday conversations. This exhibition offers a revelatory way to understand the pervasive imagery of American Indians that surrounds 21st century Americans. The exhibition won the AAM 2019 Award for Excellence in Exhibition.
Date: 2013 - 2015
Client: National Museum of the American Indian
Role: Conceptual Design Consultant
Museum Collaborators: Paul Chaat Smith, Kathleen Ash-Milby, Travis Helms, Gabrielle Tayac, Kerry Boyd