We are standing in the central gallery of the museum of the American Indians latest exhibition. Her that premises that a most American People today feel they have very little to do with native americans, and native americans have virtually nothing to do with them or their lives. We believe the exact opposite is true. The Natural Museum of the American Indian is examining the nature of nonnative americans relationship with native americans. And we do this through a prism of the national paradox. The paradox is American Indians constitute a one to 2 of the u. S. Population, yet everywhere you look you see imagery of American Indians. Its also found on state and county seals. It is found in u. S. Military insignia. It is found on architectural elements, buildings and bridges. Its everywhere you look in american life. Whether it was people that came over on the mayflower or indeed a recent immigrant, one recognizes this imagery as part and parcel of american life. We wanted to begin our exhibit five exhibit by exploring the phenomenon that is familiar, but striking. It is a phenomenon that is unique to the United States. There is no other country in the world that is so fixated that it is constantly creating images of those people. In the United States, this started before the country was even founded. It started with the countries most ardent patriots. There is Something Else that a significant about the phenomenon in this country. Although imagery of American Indians is pervasive with american life, it does nothing to bring nonnatives closer or to understand the nature of the history of they had shared with American Indians. This actually masks who native americans really are. We open this curtain and he looks what stands behind this imagery. This imagery is the intersection between native and nonnative. The american exhibit ends with a very clear presentation of the fact that nonnative americans and native americans share a deeply entangled history. This is the unique history of the United States. It is a shaped natural consciousness national consciousness. When i would like to show you is one that really fascinated me as soon as i learned about it. This is a sketch for the great seal of the United States. Congress employed a committee, or got together a committee of americans with impeccable American Revolutionary war credentials to come up with the design for the great seal of the United States. They cut together a Second Committee. The Second Committee turned to a man named francis hopkins. He was the he was a signer of the declaration of independence. People who know about the history know that this sketch was never submitted as a formal proposal for what the great seal should look like. I find it fascinating that at the time when the United States was forming its government, that it was trying to codify foundational ideas and come up with an entity that with an identity. Come up with an identity. The fact the native american was erased from the seal, sad to say, prefigures the history that would soon transpire of the United States erasing the American Indian from the landscape. Another object is this world war i helmet. Its actually a marine helmet. This is because during world war i, three or four regiments of the u. S. Marines were assigned to the u. S. Army to fight in france. At that time the army didnt have any insignia, but realized it wanted to have an insignia to distinguish it personnel and its and its vehicle from European Armed forces. One enlisted man came up with a trying of a portrait of an indian man wearing an eagle feather headdress. The other one came out with a star. When he passed this design up the line to request permission to use it, his argument was who is the first true american first true original american . That is why this insignia was approved and is used to this day. The other thing that is interesting is of course it was the u. S. Army who was fighting American Indians and confining them to register confining them to reservations. In the 20th century it is the army that put forth the imagery of the American Indian to represent themselves. When the army did this, they employed the colors of red white and blue to depict the American Indian. After world war i, when modern advertising as we know it took off, advertisers started using an image of the American Indian for the same reason to represent what is Truly American when they would depict American Indians in their advertising. They would use the colors red white and blue. We can see the proindian made you see this over and over again in american advertising, almost famously on cans, but the many advertisers and commercial artists use the imagery of an American Indian and the colors red white and blue. They are trying to sell something that is quintessentially american. The u. S. Military has been naming weapons and aircraft after American Indian tribes and weapons for over 200 years. This tradition picked up seem picked up steam in the 20th century. The u. S. Air force issued a memorandum, saying they would be naming helicopters after a tribe. They justified their reasons for doing this. They said these invoked a and warriors. Today tradition is done with the acquiescence of tribes. One of the most famous attack helicopters in u. S. Militarys arsenal is the Apache Helicopter. These are produced in arizona. And every time a new model of the Apache Helicopter is unveiled, there is a ceremony. They perform a ceremony and also a blessing for the individuals who will be flying the aircraft. Also in the exhibit is a lifesized tomahawk missile. We are getting across the point that the army is using not only imagery but names of American Indians to invoke a fierce fighting spirit. Now we have looked at just a few images that is in our indians everywhere gallery. There are 300 images of American Indians in this gallery. Each image can be replaced with yet another image. What we find significant about this imagery is it is evidence of the history that americans and American Indians share. We explore the history behind those explore the imagery behind that history. We are concerned about getting across the fact that the countrys deepest roots are tangled with native americans. We are talking about pocahontas, who had been famous for 400 years. She is the only native american, she is the only american in the history of the country who had been famous for this long. In this gallery were looking at how improbable it is that somebody who was born 400 years ago, let alone a female, let alone an indigenous woman, let alone an indigenous woman who died in the early 20s, should be famous for 400 years. We know that a lot of our visitors arent really sure pocahontas was an actual historical person, so the first thing we want to get across is this fact that she was a historical person. And how much it is that we know about her. She was abducted by a columnist and held by them. And also that she traveled to london. She passed away just at the outset of her home. Pocahontas put a human face on the Indigenous People of america for the first time in history. Its important to understand up until this time europeans were debating whether or not Indigenous People in the americans in the americas were even fully human. And with her trip to london she is destined to and are the european history books. Her portrait is created from life. It is published in a book of british monarchies and other notables. She is received as a daughter of a powerful leader. Her life story is published in a famous lion called the grand voyages. And the american volume talks about pocahontass life. This volume was translated in many languages, so pocahontas life after her death is known to a book reading european audience. One of the images we are most interested in is aps from virginia. Is a piece from virginia. Four of the u. S. President s who were born in virginia, the fourth chief justice of the United States, born in virginia, and patrick henry, the famous patriot who said give me liberty or give me death. Its a scene we are depicted on standing of the shoulders of pocahontas. Why is pocahontas saving the life of captain smith, depicted in the rotunda of the u. S. Capitol . The u. S. Capitol houses the legislative branch of government. And the rotunda is the countrys grandest ceremonial room, which is evocative of a roman pantheon. Here is pocahontas under the magnificent dome. We want to know why she is being afforded this respect. Although historians today dispute and discount the idea that she saved captain smiths life, early in our history people believe that to be true. This incident is painted in the rotunda of the u. S. Capitol. In saving captain smiths life pocahontas was credited with saving the four james colony. In saving the four james colony she is credited with saving the birthplace of democracy players democracy. The First Assembly elected representatives in what will become the United States of america. A very important motif is the tobacco leaf. It was not only the cash crop that allowed for james to become a viable colony and and rich england, it is also the cash crop that allowed virginia to become the most powerful and influential colony and the wealthiest and most powerful influential state. Pocahontass defiant action, she is defying her father i saving the life of captain smith, this rebelliousness was associated with the rebelliousness of the american patriots. The United States is extending its lineage back to pocahontas. So pocahontas has always been a household name. Pocahontas has always been considered and acutely important historical personages. In 1907, when the 300th anniversary of the founding of jamestown was being celebrated, president roosevelt oversaw the celebrations. During the celebrations, once again pocahontas was put forward as not only a savior but a founder of the country. Here in what is actually a postcard, she is made to resemble nothing less than lady liberty. She looks westward over the entire country. In 1924 something very interesting happened in for genia. The state of virginia is passing racial segregation laws. They are looking in 1924 to pass an act which they are referring to as the racial integrity act. This is intended to safeguard the pureness of the white race. Every child born in the state of virginia is registered. At that time the childs race is also registered. The child can be classified as either colored or white. The legislation is intended to help virginia and prohibit and even punish interracial marriages. And this law is actually also designed to legislate American Indians out of existence. What happens is wealthy powerful leader virginians realize if this law is passed, they will be subjected to jim crow laws. Wealth, power, and influence has been associated with lineage. One of the most important lineage to lineage societies has been the first family of virginia. The first family of virginia traced to their lineage back to english colonists who came to fort james. Many of these first family of virginia members to send from the marriage in between pocahontass son and a member of the randolph family. There are many people who claim to have dissent from to have descended from this marriage. It includes an exception. In that clause allows for anybody with 1 16 of American Indian blood to be classified as white and therefore subject to jim crow laws. In a state that long touted the first interracial marriage between pocahontas and john rolfe is not nothing if actually ironic. Generations of temperate of contemporary americans grew up knowing about pocahontas from the animated film. Throughout u. S. History americans have been reproducing her supposed likeness. In the early 20th century, a famous philanthropist acquired a painting of pocahontas that was made in the early 18th century based on the engraving of pocahontas. For decades it hung in john ralphs family home. It was donated to the National Gallery and then the National Portrait gallery, where was touted as one of the most famous portraits of an early american. Pocahontas has a unique place in american history. She is the individual who put a human face on the Indigenous People of the americas. And she is a reminder that the countrys deepest root are entangled with native americans. You can watch this and other american artifacts programs by visiting our website. Each week american artifacts exceed to museums and historic basis to learn about american history. Visit the trail of tears gallery at the National Museum of the American Indian in washington dc, which looks at the national deb