Smithsonian exhibition ‘Americans’ opening at Fort Garland Museum

The Smithsonian traveling exhibition “Americans” will open at the Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center on Sept. 13, according to the Alamosa Citizen. Based on a major exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, “Americans” examines how American Indians are deeply tied to U.S. history, popular culture and national identity.

The exhibition arrives just as “Why We Serve: Native Americans in the United States Armed Forces” completes its run on Aug. 31. Fort Garland Museum Director Eric Carpio said the timing “lined up perfectly.” The Smithsonian said the six-year national tour will reach small towns in about 20 states. Through photographs, objects, interactives and video, the exhibition explores stories such as Pocahontas, the Indian Removal Act and the Battle of Little Bighorn, while highlighting the continued presence of Native imagery in U.S. culture.