National Museum of the American Indian

The National Museum of the American Indian, anchoring the southeast end of the National Mall, is the only national museum devoted to the Indigenous peoples of the entire Western Hemisphere. Congress chartered it in 1989, and Blackfoot architect Douglas Cardinal designed the current building, which opened in 2004. Its undulating Kasota limestone facade is meant to evoke wind-carved stone, and the main entrance is aligned with the sunrise. The collection holds more than 800.000 objects spanning 12.000 years, from Plains moccasins to contemporary video art. Unlike older ethnographic museums, exhibits are co-curated with the communities they represent; the permanent Nation to Nation show traces the treaty history between the United States and Indigenous nations. The on-site Mitsitam Cafe serves dishes built around corn, beans, squash and game, organized by culinary region.