- Details
- By Levi Rickert
The National Museum of the American Indian—with locations in New York City and Washington, D.C.—is one of eight Smithsonian Institution museums currently undergoing a “comprehensive internal review” to determine whether it aligns with President Donald Trump’s cultural directives ahead of the United States’ 250th anniversary next July 4, 2026.
Smithsonian Institution secretary Lonnie Bunch was sent a letter from the Trump White House on Tuesday that detailed a three-step process with 30, 75, and 120 day deadlines.
The National Museum of the American Indian is among the other seven that include: National Museum of American History, the National Museum of Natural History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Air and Space Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
The letter states that “it is more important than ever that our national museums reflect the unity, progress, and enduring values that define the American story.”
The directive seeks to comply with Trump’s March 27th Executive Order 14253, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.”
“This initiative aims to ensure alignment with the President's directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions.” the letter states.
The March 27th Executive Order criticized the Smithsonian for coming “under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology” and promoting “narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive.”
The review will focus on the following key areas:
- Public-Facing Content: An assessment of exhibition texts, wall labels, websites, educational materials, and digital/social media content, with attention to tone, historical framing, and alignment with American ideals.
- Curatorial Process: Interviews with curators and senior staff to gain insight into exhibition selection, approval processes, and the frameworks currently guiding curatorial decisions.
- Exhibition Planning: A review of current and upcoming exhibitions, with special emphasis on those planned in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
- Collection Utilization: An evaluation of how existing collections are being used—or could be better used—to highlight American achievement and progress, including opportunities for digitization or collaboration with other institutions.
- Narrative Standards: The development of consistent curatorial guidelines that reflect and uphold the Smithsonian’s founding mission.
"Within 120 days, museums should begin implementing content corrections where necessary, replacing divisive or ideologically driven language with unifying, historically accurate, and constructive descriptions across placards, wall didactics, digital displays, and other public-facing materials," Tuesday letter says.
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