Kevin Gover, Director
National Museum of the American Indian,
Washington, DC
July 28, 2016
Re: Native Village Marker for Capitol Hill
Dear Kevin Gover,
My time in Melbourne, AU has sensitized me to the issue of acknowledging the historic people who came before us. In Melbourne, each public meeting begins with mention of the indigenous people who originally occupied the land around the city.
As you may know, in Washington, DC, historic maps (see above) suggest that the dominant tribe that gave a derivative form of it's name to the Anacostia River, the Nacotchtanke, had villages not far from the Capitol Building. Ironically, the village locations are quite close to the American Indian Museum.
To the best of my knowledge, currently there is no public display that acknowledges the past existence of those villages.
Such a monument would be educational to local residents and visitors as well as provide evidence that we, as a city, acknowledge the Native people who enjoyed this land before us.
I am in the process of contacting key Washingtonians, such as yourself, who might be interested in pursuing the placement of a Native Village marker on Capitol Hill. In the near future I will also be contacting the Mayor and Congresswoman Norton to discuss this project.
Please contact me if you would like more documentation - the Library of Congress has been a rich and readily available resource - and if you would like to discuss this matter in more detail.
Sincerely yours,
Armand
Armand Lione, Ph.D.
202.544.0711
National Museum of the American Indian,
Washington, DC
July 28, 2016
Re: Native Village Marker for Capitol Hill
Dear Kevin Gover,
My time in Melbourne, AU has sensitized me to the issue of acknowledging the historic people who came before us. In Melbourne, each public meeting begins with mention of the indigenous people who originally occupied the land around the city.
As you may know, in Washington, DC, historic maps (see above) suggest that the dominant tribe that gave a derivative form of it's name to the Anacostia River, the Nacotchtanke, had villages not far from the Capitol Building. Ironically, the village locations are quite close to the American Indian Museum.
To the best of my knowledge, currently there is no public display that acknowledges the past existence of those villages.
Such a monument would be educational to local residents and visitors as well as provide evidence that we, as a city, acknowledge the Native people who enjoyed this land before us.
I am in the process of contacting key Washingtonians, such as yourself, who might be interested in pursuing the placement of a Native Village marker on Capitol Hill. In the near future I will also be contacting the Mayor and Congresswoman Norton to discuss this project.
Please contact me if you would like more documentation - the Library of Congress has been a rich and readily available resource - and if you would like to discuss this matter in more detail.
Sincerely yours,
Armand
Armand Lione, Ph.D.
202.544.0711
Current phone number: 202.487.7092
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