Smithsonian

The Smithsonian Institution, and its National Museum of American History in particular, has become the latest institution drawn into the Trump administration's push against museums and cultural bodies it accuses of pushing ideological narratives. The administration has pressured Smithsonian leadership over exhibitions and content, prompting debate about political interference in museums, historical accuracy, and the independence of publicly funded cultural institutions.

The Smithsonian is highlighting Indian Peace Medals, the engraved medallions handed out by European colonial powers and later the United States government to Native American leaders as tokens of alliance and diplomacy. The feature examines what these objects meant as symbols of diplomatic relations, and how their legacy reflects the complex and often broken promises made to Indigenous nations.