National Museum of the American Indian050

The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian galleries and display spaces house both permanent and temporary exhibitions. The museum's permanent exhibitions, Our Universes, Our Peoples, and Our Lives, represent important ideas and experiences in Native life and history. Temporary exhibitions present individual artists' works, explore specific themes in Indian culture, or bring objects from other institutions to the museum. The museum's galleries also include cases containing study collections and outstanding objects from the museum's collections.

The museum has two theaters: the Main Theater, which provides a unique setting for stage plays, storytelling, dance and music presentations, film and video viewing, and lectures and seminars; and the Lelawi Theater, which offers a dazzling multi-media experience designed to prepare museum-goers for the themes and messages they will encounter during their museum visit. A 13-minute presentation, titled Who We Are, immerses viewers in the vibrancy and diversity of contemporary Native life and explores, from a Native perspective, the strength that different communities across the hemisphere derive from their connections to land, religion, traditional knowledge, self government, and self expression.

The Resource Center (RC) is a public reference area where visitors learn more about the Native peoples of the Americas and the exhibitions, programs, and collections of the museum. The RC is open seven days a week, and other than for workshops, appointments are not required.

The museum's Mitsitam Native Foods Café (which offers some of the best "museum food" on the Mall!) enhances the museum experience by providing visitors the opportunity to enjoy the indigenous cuisines of the Americas and to explore the history of Native foods. And don't forget the stores! The museum has two: The Chesapeake Museum Store, features jewelry, textiles, and other works by Native artisans; and The Roanoke Museum Store, which carries souvenirs and children's books and toys.