Northern Arapaho man helps protect NMAI in New York City


Luther Nakapaahu, a security guard at the National Museum of the American Indian in New York City. Photo Karsten Moran for The New York Times.

Luther Nakapaahu, a member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe, is a security guard at the National Museum of the American Indian in New York City.

Nakapaahu, who grew up in Hawaii before moving to the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming as a teen, is the only Native guard at the museum. He likes to explore his tribe's heritage during his breaks.

“It’s sort of everything mixed up in one feeling,” Nakapaahu told The New York Times about seeing artifacts from his tribe make it into exhibits. “Happy, pride, shock.”

Get the Story:
Varied Duties, and Many Facets, in a Guard’s Life (The New York Times 3/21)

Join the Conversation