WASHINGTON -- The dozens of point-and-shoot cameras don't do it justice, and chances are any TV set will give you way more detail. But the view of the Capitol from the top floor terrace of the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian is breathtaking ...in very quick breaths. Even by Northland standards it's cold out here, and even more so for the tribal leaders from across the continent who have gathered here.
But it's worth the cold, said Reggie Pagaling of the Chumash Nation near Santa Barbara, Calif. "Absolutely. Man of color in office? damned straight!"
What Pagaling calls cold is nothing to Fond du Lac Band Chairwoman Karen Diver, who had an official ticketed seat in the shadow of the Capitol but opted for the museum gathering instead.
"I think tribal leaders got the premiere view, and how wonderful that it's the first president of color on top of it," she said.
Just before noon, those who sought shelter in the conference room grew pin-drop quiet as Yo-Yo Ma played his cello on the big screen.
ADVERTISEMENT
And when the CNN announcer broke through at noon to say at that point, despite having not yet taken the oath of office, Barack Obama was president of the United States, burst into applause.
