About 20,000 people representing hundreds of tribes have registered for the opening ceremony of the new National Museum of the American Indian.

Thousands more Native people are expected to descend on Washington, D.C., for the opening week festivities. "I've been around Indian Country a lot over the summer, and I haven't run into a single person who didn't know about this or who wasn't coming to this," NMAI director Rick West told reporter Jodi Rave Lee.

Starting at 9:30 a.m., the Native Nations Procession will kick off the events on September 21. The dedication ceremony will take place at noon and the museum will open at 1 p.m.

Get the Story:
Native museum opening in D.C. (The Lincoln Journal Star 9/16)
Native Spirit on exhibit (The Billings Gazette 9/16)
N.M. Played Large Role in Creating Nat'l Museum of the American Indian (The Albuquerque Journal 9/16)

Relevant Links:
National Museum of the American Indian - http://www.nmai.si.edu

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