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$1 million donation to Smithsonian's National Museum of American Indian

By ANDREW DONOVAN

Story Created: Sep 27, 2012 at 4:29 PM EDT

Story Updated: Sep 27, 2012 at 6:30 PM EDT

ONEIDA, N.Y. (WKTV) - A little more Central New York history will be seen in Washington as the Oneida Indian Nation announced changes to their exhibit at the Smithsonian.

On Thursday at the Shak:owi Cultural Center in the City of Oneida, Oneida Nation CEO Ray Halbritter presented a check to officials from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American Indian. Thursday's million dollar check is one eighth of the nation's $10 million pledge and Halbritter says learning about the Oneida Indian story is important for all Americans.

"The stories that have been written have not told the complete story. We've all not been taught everything about the Oneida Indian story and the story of American Indians is often not completely told and now there's an opportunity to learn about the history from the Indian people themselves," Halbritter said.

The exhibit in Washington includes a statue of George Washington and Oneida Chief Skenandoah, to represent the bond between two nations.

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