2021 – Arts

W. Richard West, Southern Cheyenne, was the founding director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian. West successfully guided the development and opening of the three facilities that comprise the National Museum of the American Indian including the Cultural Resources Center in Suitland, Maryland, the George Gustav Heye Center in New York City, and the celebrated opening of the NMAI on the National Mall in Washington, D.C in 2004. He was brought out of retirement in 2013 to become President and CEO of the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles. West practiced law at the Indian-owned law firm of Gover, Stetson, Williams & West, P.C. He served as counsel to numerous American Indian tribes, communities, and organizations. He is a member of the Southern Cheyenne Society of Peace Chiefs.

> Interview with W. Richard West at the 2021 Induction Ceremony: