fbpx
facebook app symbol  twitter  linkedin  instagram 1
 

Kevin Gover, the longtime director at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, will enter into a new role at the institute this week as the new Under Secretary for Museums and Culture. 

Gover, a member of the Pawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, has served as acting director for his new role since February.

The Under Secretary for Museums and Culture oversees the Smithsonian’s history and art museums, its cultural centers, and the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Exhibits and the National Collections Program.

Gover was hired as director of the National Museum of the American Indian in 2007. Prior to that, he practiced law, eventually teaching within the Indian Legal Program at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.

From 1997 to 2000, Gover served as the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs in the U.S. Department of the Interior. He made history on the 175th anniversary of the BIA when he formally apologized for the agency’s devastating impacts to Native Americans. 

Particularly noteworthy during his tenure at the National Museum of the American Indian: Gover oversaw exhibits, such as “Americans,” which looked at Native Americans’ influence on present day identity of the nation; he initiated the National Native American Veterans Memorial through a commission from Congress; he helped launch Native Knowledge 360°, a national educational initiative that provides schools with more accurate and comprehensive Native American history materials.

Acting director Machel Monenerkit will continue to fill Gover’s role at the National Museum of the American Indian. Monenerkit has been working for the museum since 1994.

More Stories Like This

New Book Features Professional Runner Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Whetstone,
Navajo Technical University Rodeo Team Competes at 2025 College National Finals Rodeo
Restoring the Voice of a Leader: Sitting Bull's Songs Reclaimed
New Exhibition of Contemporary Northwest Coast Indigenous Art Opens at the American Museum of Natural History
"Your'e No Indian" Examines the Disenrollment Issue

Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions

At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.

The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.

Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.

This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.

We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.

Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.

Levi headshotThe stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.

Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.

Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher

 
 
About The Author
Jenna Kunze
Author: Jenna KunzeEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Senior Reporter
Jenna Kunze is a staff reporter covering Indian health, the environment and breaking news for Native News Online. She is also the lead reporter on stories related to Indian boarding schools and repatriation. Her bylines have appeared in The Arctic Sounder, High Country News, Indian Country Today, Tribal Business News, Smithsonian Magazine, Elle and Anchorage Daily News. Kunze is based in New York.