National Museum of the American Indian

National Museum of the American Indian, institution devoted to the collection, preservation, and presentation of the culture of the indigenous populations of the Western Hemisphere, a division of the Smithsonian Institution. It was established in 1989 with the collections of the former Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, in New York City. That museum was founded in 1916 by George G. Heye and was opened to the public in 1922. The museum currently comprises the main museum on the Mall in Washington, D.C. (opened 2004); a research center in Suitland, Md.; and the George Gustav Heye Center in New York City. The museum's collection, comprising 4 million cataloged items, includes ceramics, masks, dolls, carvings, textiles, featherwork, beadwork, and jewelry.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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