[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 119 (Friday, July 21, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1493-E1494]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


         FUNDING OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN

                                 ______


                          HON. BILL RICHARDSON

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, July 21, 1995
  Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring up a matter which 
deeply troubles me. The House recently passed its version of the fiscal 
year 1996 Interior appropriations bill, H.R. 1977. In its deliberations 
many vital programs had to be prioritized and some were eliminated or 
reduced drastically. During those deliberations, there was no mention 
of the elimination of construction funding in the Smithsonian request 
for the National Museum of the American Indian Cultural Resources 
Center.
  Let me explain why this facility is so important to Indian people. 
First, the collection, which was transferred to the Smithsonian in 1989 
from the Heye Foundation in New York, is one of the finest collections 
of native American treasures in existence and a legacy for the future. 
Without adequate protection, these treasures could be lost forever. The 
principal reason for the original transfer of the collection was the 
dismal condition of the storage facility in New York. The New York 
building, where most of the collection is housed, is over 70 years old 
and in such poor condition that it places the collection in physical 
danger. The Smithsonian has made the transfer of the collection out of 
the New York facility and into the Cultural Resources Center one of its 
top priorities. There in no question that the transfer is necessary in 
order to protect this magnificent collection.
  Second, and more importantly, the establishment and progress of the 
National Museum of the American Indian is a fulfillment of the promises 
that this Congress made to the Indian tribes. Although the Cultural 
Resources Center will house over 1 million native American objects it 
will also serve as a institution of living culture, and will provide 
training programs, research opportunities, and educational endeavors to 
native peoples. This will enable Indian people to preserve and maintain 
their unique culture and community.
  In fiscal year 1995, Congress appropriated $19.4 million in start-up 
moneys for the Cultural Resources Center. For fiscal year 1996, 
however, the House did not provide any funds 

[[Page E1494]]

for the Center in its fiscal year 1996 Interior appropriation bill. It 
is my hope, and the hope of all of Indian country, that the Senate in 
its deliberations on the appropriations measure will see fit to restore 
funding for this project.
  Mr. Speaker, the authority legislation for the National Museum of the 
American Indian created a solemn and historic obligation on behalf of 
this Nation to provide a living museum for its native American tribes. 
We should act in good faith and keep those promises, by recognizing the 
contributions and cultures of the native peoples who inhabited these 
lands first and who constitute such an integral and important thread in 
the fabric of our national cultural heritage. The National Museum of 
the American Indian Cultural Resources Center deserves our support and 
funding.


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