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create exhibition space, in effect a museum, devoted to the arts and culture of Indians of the Americas.

The Heye collection of Indian art was described as being enormous in extent, with only a minuscule part on public exhibition, with another small part of it accessible to scholars. This collection has been in the American Indian Museum in New York since the early 1930's. The collection has never been catalogued, so that its full extent is unknown. A court case is now pending with the Attorney General of New York resulting from charges of mismanagement and misconduct by both trustees and staff.

It occurred to the Vice President, when the Secretary talked about the reservation of the last remaining site on the Mall for Smithsonian purposes, that in the Bicentennial Year, were the Smithsonian to identify itself positively with our forefathers, such special identity might be appropriate and very well received. It was suggested that there may be a significant opportunity to acquire this major collection, which could result in a continuing exhibition and availability to scholars on that site.

The Secretary mentioned that there have been a number of attempts to introduce legislation in the Congress (not by the Smithsonian) to create a Museum of Man, but such legislation has never been enacted. He added that we have thought of a Museum of Man and thought originally that the last site on the Mall would