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Smithsonian Exhibit Labels George Washington as “Town Destroyer,” Prompting Federal Review
By Drooid · · How we work
Exhibit Highlights and Federal Response
Fox News Digital reported that a display in the National Museum of the American Indian’s Manhattan branch labels George Washington “town destroyer,” noting the destruction of 40 Haudenosaunee towns and burned harvests. The caption adds that the Haudenosaunee still refer to Washington and all U.S. presidents as “Hanadahguyus,” meaning “town destroyer.” President Donald Trump has ordered a review of Smithsonian exhibits and educational materials, saying the institution presents an “overly negative portrayal” of American history. The Smithsonian declined to comment when contacted for this story.
Context of Museum Narrative
The museum’s “Native New York” exhibit, along with other displays, emphasizes the brutality inflicted on Native communities while providing limited context about the raids by Indigenous groups and Loyalists that preceded Washington’s campaign.
Criticism of the Museum’s Approach
A cultural critic writing for the *New York Times* in 2010 described the museum as an “identity museum” that “jettisons Western scholarship” and offers a “pastoral” view of pre-colonial life. A historian cited by Fox News Digital said the Smithsonian’s current direction is markedly different from a decade earlier, characterizing it as activist rather than scholarly.
Educational Materials and Public Perception
The museum’s online catalog for middle-school teachers includes a video that opens by calling the American War for Independence “a disruptive and dangerous project,” labeling colonists as “trespassers and squatters.” Near the exhibit exit, a museum store displays books such as *An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States*, which critiques the Constitution and alleges ongoing ethnic cleansing, alongside titles on Indigenous slavery and a children’s picture book about Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.
These elements have intensified the Trump administration’s dispute with the Smithsonian over how early American history is presented to the public.