Native Land Acknowledgment for the NMAI in DC?

Dear Kevin Gover,

As you know, there is a growing interest in Native land acknowledgments in the US. 

Here in Washington, members of the DC City Council have begun using them during Council meetings. 

My experience in Melbourne, AU over the last 12 years has sensitized me to the public acknowledgment of Indigenous people, since in Melbourne (as I have heard is also being done in Canada), public parks and many public buildings have permanent land acknowledgments at their entrances.

My question here is whether the NMAI in DC has a land acknowledgment for the Anacostans who once walked the land under the museum? Perhaps this already exists and I wasn't thorough enough in my search of online information about the NMAI. 

If not, Indigenous Peoples' Day will be Oct 12, 2020, perhaps placing this acknowledgment could be part of the museum events for that day?

As you might recall, I have emailed you previously starting in 2016, when I learned there is a documented Anacostan Native site less than a mile from the NMAI, asking why visitors to the museum aren't being told about it. In 2018, I emailed again to ask about a possible real or online exhibit to tell the history of the Anacostans in Washington, DC. In other emails with your staff I have offered the contents of the Once As It Was Map of DC for use on the NMAI website at no charge.

As you know, there is great concern in the Native American and African American communities about the erasure of their history. A Native land acknowledgment in the NMAI would be a giant step in focusing attention on the Native Americans who once occupied the land that is now Washington, DC.

Sincerely yours,

Armand Lione, Ph.D.

Director, DC Native History Project

202.487.7092

The Absence of the Anacostan Natives of DC from the National Museum of the American Indian

After the talk I gave on Oct 8 at the Anacostia Library about the Anacostan history in DC, the subject came up of why this topic isn't included in the materials offered by the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) here in DC.
The 1st letter in this blog was addressed to Kevin Gover, Director of the NMAI.
It seemed like a good time for a follow-up.
Here's the letter sent on 10/15/18:

                                                                                                       sent by US Mail & email

Kevin Gover, Director

National Museum of the American Indian

Washington, DC

October 15, 2018

Re: The Absence of the Anacostan Natives of DC from the National Museum of the American Indian

Dear Kevin Gover,

In my previous letter to you in 2016 (copy attached), I briefly explained how my time in Melbourne, AU has sensitized me to the issue of acknowledging the Native people who came before us. In Melbourne, each public meeting begins with mention of the indigenous people who originally occupied the land in the city. The Melbourne city website devotes an entire section to their indigenous people.

https://whatson.melbourne.vic.gov.au/Placestogo/indigenous/Pages/indigenous.aspx

At that time I had collected some documents and maps that showed an Anacostan/Nacotchtank village once existed in the area around Garfield Park, SE. Since that time I have collected more extensive information on the history of the Anacostan Natives who once farmed, quarried and buried their dead on the land that is now Washington, DC. I have collected and offered those materials online as a website, a blog, and in a full referenced article citing the resources I've identified (see links at end).

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but unfortunately, I have not been able to find any mention of the Anacostan Natives of DC in your National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI). To the best of my knowledge, currently there is no public display that acknowledges the past existence of Anacostan villages, their quarries or burial sites. Can we initiate a future display for DC-Area Native Americans?

I understand your challenge in presenting the extensive history of the American Indian to the public. However, the absence of a telling of the story of the Natives of DC stands in sharp contrast to the excellent detail in which the story of the Manahatta Indians is told on your website: “Manahatta to Manhattan, Native Americans in Lower Manhattan” (http://nmai.si.edu/sites/1/files/pdf/education/Manahatta_to_manhattan.pdf)

The current NMAI exhibit “Return to a Native Place: Algonquin Peoples of the Chesapeake,” which sits outside the elevators on the second floor of the museum, would be expected to include the Anacostans, who were the Algonquins native to DC and nearby Maryland. As is shown in the picture below, the exhibit's discussion of the Piscataway Algonquins who lived along the Potomac does not even include the part of the Potomac that reaches Washington.

Washington, DC is currently celebrating the “Year of the Anacostia.” There has not been a great deal of public recognition of the Anacostan Natives who gave the river it's name. Of all the many public groups to overlook the history of these Native People, it's extremely sad that the NMAI is currently included. There is still time to rectify this oversight. I will be happy to contribute my time to work with your staff to help acknowledge the Anacostan Natives who previously lived on the land of this city for thousands of years.

I would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you, or a staff member to review the options for a display or on-line acknowledgement of DC-Area Native Americans.

Sincerely yours,

Armand

Armand Lione, Ph.D.

533 4th St. SE, DC, 20003

armandlione@gmail.com

202.487.7092

Links:

Blog: http://nativevillagemarker.blogspot.com/

Map: http://onceasitwasdc.org/

Article: http://onceasitwasdc.org/media/Why%20Did%20the%20Anacostan%20Indians%20Choose%20to%20Live%20on%20Capitol%20Hill%20Feb%202018.pdf

Kevin Gover, Director, National Museum of the American Indian 7/28/16

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