A day of history

(Times photo - Chee Brossy)

Pendleton designs signal a Native American family among the crowd watching the news coverage of Inauguration Day on the wall of the National Museum of the American Indian.

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O n a historic Inauguration Day, the biggest obstacle was the cold.

With temperatures well below freezing, and lines to get to seating and standing areas several blocks long, some people turned around to watch the inauguration on TV in nearby restaurants or returned to their hotels and apartments.

But for the masses of people who did manage to navigate the labyrinth of roadblocks and detours, the spectacle was one-of-a-kind.

First of all, the number of people was overwhelming. Over 1 million people attended the inauguration, coming from near and far to see the first African-American president take office.

The National Museum of the American Indian and other museums lining the National Mall opened their doors and offered hot chocolate so people could warm up.

Throughout Tuesday, a sense of unity helped to keep things in perspective and mollify the excited crowds. For supporters of a president whose approval ratings are at 80 percent, it was worth the wait despite the physical discomfort.

Michelle Brown-Yazzie of Torreon, N.M., who stepped into the NMAI to get out of the cold with her son and husband, shared the enthusiasm for the new president.

"Just being here and feeling all the energy and excitement - it's amazing," said Brown-Yazzie.

Brown-Yazzie and her family currently live in Rio Rancho, N.M., where she works as a tribal DWI coordinator with the state Department of Transportation.

They came to be a part of history, she said, but she also feels her concerns about improving health care for Native Americans have been noticed by Obama after a meeting with him on the campaign trail in October.

"I feel he really heard me when I spoke to him - he singled me out when I mentioned improvement in IHS," said Brown-Yazzie, who encountered the candidate at a campaign stop in Bernalillo, N.M.

Brown-Yazzie also has a personal connection to the health care issue. She feels that poor prenatal care at an IHS hospital caused the death of one of her sons.

"If we had quality health care, he would still be here," she said. "Reform is not working right now for IHS. And (Obama) listened. He said, 'I hear your story.'"

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In lines that often snaked block after block around the Capitol, people slowly squeezed through security checkpoints to get to the ticketed areas close to the inaugural platform. Some of the best vantage points were in buildings with a view of the Capitol steps where Obama took his oath.

For instance, the upper levels of NMAI, a scant 400 yards from where Obama stood, were a popular place to view the inauguration for many Native leaders.

Navajo Nation Council delegates Orlanda Smith Hodge (Cornfields/Greasewood Springs/Klagetoh/Wide Ruins) and Evelyn J. Acothley (Coppermine/Bodaway-Gap/Cameron) made their way there to watch the swearing-in ceremony.

"We wanted to be part of history," Acothley said. "We're here on behalf of the Navajo Nation, and as leaders we're here on their behalf."

"We want to let people know that the Navajo Nation is represented," added Smith Hodge. "We have a responsibility to Obama and he's going to make a change."

On Monday, the Navajo delegates went sightseeing on Capitol Hill, visited the offices of Arizona's congressional delegates, and attended a women's legislative event.

Unfortunately for those on the restricted-access upper floors of the NMAI, the view of the inaugural platform was partially obscured by trees. So many watched it on large-screen TVs rather than looking out the window.

As it turned out, the unrestricted bottom floor, with its large open space and crowd of people, was the place to be for the swearing in.

Video of the ceremony was projected onto one wall, and the crowd cheered loudly when Obama's image first appeared on the screen.

Chants of "O-ba-ma! O-ba-ma!" rang out.

The biggest cheer came when Obama finished taking the oath of office, rising like a wave up the four-story atrium, echoing off the limestone walls.

Shouts of "Yes we can!" picked up.

The parts in Obama's inaugural speech that received the most cheers were those that referenced race and overcoming racism, like when he spoke of change in America where a man "whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served in a restaurant, can now stand before you and take a most sacred oath."

Russell Eaglebear described the atmosphere in the museum and on Capitol Hill as "a good feeling."

"It's relaxed, people aren't tense," said Eaglebear, Rosebud Sioux, a tribal council member from Rosebud, S.D. "It feels really positive and optimistic.

"With Obama's message, one of the things he stressed was sovereignty and treaty issues," Eaglebear added. "When the president talks about that we need to let him know tribes are out there. We're not making millions on casinos you know - we're hurting. But now it feels like we can do things."

After the swearing in was over, the crowd started to move out of the museum, but many people lingered. Some, having been up and waiting in lines in 20-degree weather since 4 a.m., lay down on the floor of the atrium and took a nap.

It was, after all, the people's museum.