National Museum of the American Indian

Last Friday after visiting the Botanic Gardens we then went to the National Museum of the American Indian next door. 

It was a golden color in the midday light. Notice the line of food trucks outside.

Daughter Sarah knew there was hoop dance performance scheduled for noon and we arrived just in time to get seats on the periphery and watch the dancer set up his hoops.

The performance space is much like a kiva.  Above the ceiling is a dome of rings.

The performance started with the flute playing.

Then the dancing to the beat of a drum and singing.

One by one the dancer picked up the hoops with his feet, tossing them over his head and around his body, never stopping.  13 hoops in all!

Then he invited children and parents to join hands and form a circle line.

The line wound tighter and tighter into the center of the circle and

then back out.

It was a microcosm of our nation with all races and nationalities, young and old, joining hands in the dance.

We visited the 4th floor briefly of this museum,

then headed over to the National Gallery of Art to grab lunch before heading back to Greenbelt on the green line.