PEACE OFFERING

We should have mentioned the National Museum of the American Indian, which opened Tuesday in Washington, D.C. Here are some images from the opening ceremony. The First Americans Festival continues through Sunday.

A friend writes:

On Monday, I just happened to be enroute home from a weekend trip and changed planes in Memphis, where more than a few participants boarded my flight to D.C. I was really struck by how much this museum means to them. This may sound corny, but I was moved to tears by their enthusiasm and pride. The museum was 15 years in the making and it will be the Smithsonian's last museum. The last museum for the first Americans.

About 20,000 Native Americans marched in the Procession of Nations on opening day. It is said to be the largest gathering of the tribes in history. Most were dressed in full tribal regalia as they walked together to the dedication of the museum. The word "awesome" -- these days completely overused -- really applies here. It will take more than a museum to heal their wounds, but what a great start.

Roughly half of the $219-million museum ($119 million) was funded by the federal government. Private contributions made up the rest of the funding. "Three tribes with thriving casino operations together raised $30 million," the Christian Science Monitor reported. Some 8,000 artifacts from 24 tribes, representing 10,000 years from the pre-Columbian era through the beginning of the 20th century, will be on permanent exhibit. Overall holdings include 800,000 objects and 125,000 photographs.

"Not all Native Americans have embraced the new museum," however:

The American Indian Movement, an activist group, issued a statement claiming the museum failed to display the tragic history of the U.S. government's "holocaust" against the nations and peoples of the Americas.