[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 114 (Tuesday, September 21, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H7255]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         OPENING OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN

  (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, positioned at the base of Capitol Hill, the 
National Museum of the American Indian rises up out of the ground with 
its curved limestone walls to celebrate the lives and achievements of 
our country's first citizens. This museum is a unique addition to our 
National Mall, in so much as it displays a living history of a vibrant 
people who exists among us today.
  Native Americans are not an extinct people to be catalogued. Theirs 
is not a culture that can be relegated to the confines of a glass 
display. Accordingly, the new National Museum of the American Indian 
does not exhibit archaeological artifacts to be surveyed by passersby, 
but rather offer visitors a glimpse into a lively and vibrant culture 
that lives on through the customs and traditions practiced by 
generations of native peoples.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to welcome the thousands of Native 
Americans that have come to Washington today to celebrate the opening 
of the National Museum of the American Indian, and I ask my colleagues 
to join in the celebration this week and take time to reflect upon the 
rich culture of Native Americans.

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