Biden Admin Policies Close National Museum Exhibits

Policies set in place by the Biden administration caused one of the largest museums in the country to close its exhibits due to their perceived lack of legitimacy from American Indian groups. The move came after years of attempts to remove or destroy other historical elements, including a statue of Thomas Jefferson in New York City in 2021.

The American Museum of Natural History in New York removed a number of exhibits following the Biden policy. The museum’s director Sean Decatur wrote that the areas being closed were “artifacts of an era when museums such as ours did not respect the values, perspectives and indeed shared humanity of Indigenous peoples.”

“Actions that may feel sudden to some may seem long overdue to others,” he wrote.

Biden closing down Native American exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History to get permission from guys in jean jackets who run casinos.

To leftists, respect for learning only extends to porn in school libraries.

It never outweighs identity politics. pic.twitter.com/HGOJlTnKBb

— Richard Hanania (@RichardHanania) January 26, 2024

The changes are due to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), closing nearly 10,000 square feet of exhibits.

While NAGPRA is a 1990 law, the Biden administration changed how Native artifacts were handled, with the new regulation changing rules to a “prior and informed consent before any exhibition of, access to or research on human remains or cultural items.”

Similar exhibits at Chicago’s Field Museum are also underway.

Following a wave of protests sparked by the 2020 George Floyd riots, a number of monuments and statues were removed across the country. This included a statue of former President Theodore Roosevelt at the same American Museum of Natural History causing the current controversy.

The statue was removed from the New York City Hall in 2021 after a council from former New York Mayor Bill DeBlasio (D) recommended a change after almost two centuries in the building.

More recently, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) suggested the removal of a number of paintings at an official building in Albany, arguing that it represented insensitive scenes depicting American Indians.

Several years ago, the Cleveland Indians baseball team changed their longtime name in favor of the Cleveland Guardians, despite multiple polls showing Native groups in support of the initial name.