national museum of the american indian

We spent the morning at the National Museum of the American Indian in D.C.  We have never been so we were excited to go.  Feeling a little sleepy this morning because we sprung ahead, we were a little slow getting out the door.  A group picture was in order before going in because we haven't done one this year yet.

I had to post the outtakes because it takes work to get a good group picture with this many kids.  I love that you can see the Washington Monument in the background.  This was a great spot for a group photo.

The Museum is huge.  It is filled with masks, weapons, fur, pottery, rugs, boats and everything else that American Indians used and use in their culture.

The kids enjoyed the masks and the wooden sculptures the most.

I enjoyed learning about all the different Indian Tribes that exist in the US.  They are all very different but share the same ideals.

Some of the masks are very impressive.

The fur coats are made from the different animals the Indians hunted.  A lot of their clothing is made from animal skin or guts.  Some of the coats are made from seal guts.  They didn't waste much.

We fit right in with the giant painting on the wall, right?

The Museum houses the different treaties that were signed by the American settlers and the American Indians back in the 1700s.  Each treaty is on display for a limited amount of time.  The treaty on display during our visit is the Treaty of Canandaigua from 1794 signed by George Washington himself.

I wasn't suppose to take a picture but I couldn't resist.  This is a big deal!

We had a good time and learned a lot about the American Indian culture but didn't stay long because we were home bound soon.  Some of us were getting very tired and cranky too.

Before heading home we enjoyed a delicious lunch and had another photo shoot in preparation for PI day next weekend.  As always we had an amazing time and were very sad to be leaving so quickly.  These trips fly by way too fast.  We are already looking forward to hosting and seeing the Seymours in June  Thank you again for having us.  We love you guys!