On Monday, 8/12, I sent this email to the new director of the Anacostia Community Museum. I was impressed by her prompt and considerate response as well as a call from their PR director, Marcia BairdBurris!
Dr. Melanie Adams, Director, Anacostia Community Museum
Dear Dr. Adams,
Congratulations on your appointment as Director of the Anacostia Community Museum (ACM)!
This letter is to encourage new programing at the museum to tell the story of the Anacostan Indians, the Natives who once walked the ground under the museum and gave their name to the river, the community and the museum.
The links below will detail the efforts made by the DC Native History Project to promote recognition of the Anacostans in Washington, DC. I am happy to offer the ACM free use of all the information in the Once As It Was DC map, an interactive map of major historic Native American sites around Washington! I've also attached an article that gives the detailed literature references for all the information on the map. Perhaps you would like to use it online as is, but I'm sure that a staff with some training could improve on the contents. Correct me if I'm wrong, but based on a review of exhibits listed for the museum online, the last exhibit that mentioned the history of the Anacostans was THE ANACOSTIA STORY which ran from March 6, 1977 – January 8, 1978.
Please be in touch for more information about any of the lengthy items in this short email and call on me to be of assistance for any programing that the museum may undertake to expand telling the story of the Anacostans. I'm sure Chief Jesse James Swann (also cc'd here) of the local Maryland Piscataways would also be available to act as a resource for your work.
Sincerely yours,
Armand
Armand Lione, Ph.D., Director
DC Native History Project, 202.487.7092
PDF " Why Did the Anacostan Indians Choose to Live on Capitol Hill? "
Her reply, that evening:
Dear Dr. Lione:
Thank you for the warm welcome and the suggestion for programs related to the Anacostan Indians.
I agree that we need to be sharing the story of everyone who called DC home (even before it was called DC). We are currently working hard to prepare the museum for our re-opening later this fall. I will share your idea with our program team and keep your generous invitation to serve as a resource in mind as we move forward.
Sincerely,
Melanie A. Adams, PhD
