Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) shared a video of Anthea Hartig, who serves as the director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, suggesting that Americans are living on native people’s land in the United States.
In the video Hartig states — on multiple different occasions — that her audience should “give thanks to the first peoples on whose land we’re honored to live, love, struggle and work.” The video was shared during a hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform’s Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE) on Tuesday.
During the hearing, Burchett noted that “many examples of politicization at the museum” were documented in a White House Domestic Policy Council report.
“The report makes clear that the museum’s woke exhibits and materials reflect a broader vision held by the museum leadership — particularly its director Dr. Anthea Hartig — who is here today with us,” Burchett stated.
He continued:
Dr. Hartig proudly takes credit for changing the museum’s mission statement, which no longer uses the term American history or refers to the infinite richness of that history. The museum is now guided by an interpretive plan that ensures all topics focus on the core issues of our time. Do we want to guess what they are? Race and identity, gender and sexuality, environmental change, immigration and migrations, and economic inequality top the list.
Also, a center for restorative justice at the museum created under Dr. Hartig’s watch hosted a decolonization working group to investigate historical harms that result in ongoing systematic oppression. To remove any doubt about her intentions, Dr. Hartig in her own words states that she views history as a prime tool of social justice. Here’s a brief, telling video of the Director of Museum of American History in her public remarks, repeatedly implies Americans are illegitimately occupying their own country.”
In the video shared by Burchett, Dr. Hartig was heard stating in one instance, “Before we begin, let us pause to acknowledge with gratitude the native people on whose land we gather today.” In another instance, Dr. Hartig stated, “Wherever you are at this moment, give thanks to the first people on whose land we live, love, struggle and work.”
In another moment Dr. Hartig stated, “Wherever we’re viewing this, let us acknowledge and give our respect and gratitude to native peoples for the opportunity to work and live in their territories.”
Breitbart News’s Amy Furr noted that the White House Domestic Policy Council said its report demonstrated “that NMAH [the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History] fails in the basic task of illuminating our heritage.”
“Our central finding is not that the Museum has simply added overlooked stories, corrected perceived errors, or broadened its historical scope,” the report continues. “Rather, it is that Museum leadership has explicitly adopted an ideological framework that no longer treats the American story as a shared national inheritance to be taught or celebrated, but as a political instrument to divide, dispirit, and discourage our citizens.”
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