An 1830 law forced thousands of American Indians from their lands in the southern United States to areas west of the Mississippi River. Expressions of support for the law are part of advertising for a new exhibit about Native Americans. The exhibit, called “Americans,” opened last month at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. It explores the use of American Indian imagery over the years. Two centuries ago, some people imagined a country free of American Indians. Others thought the removal of the Indians would lead to expanded wealth from cotton fields, where millions of blacks worked as slaves. Cecile Ganteaume, a co-curator of the exhibit, admits the show is provocative. Critics have praised the exhibit. They say it pushes the national debate over American Indian imagery and sports teams named the Chiefs, Braves and Blackhawks.
