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Graber (2008-09)
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W. Richard West, Jr. (2006-07) W. Richard West, Jr., a citizen of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma and a Peace Chief of the Southern Cheyenne, was the founding director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian. A lawyer (Stanford, '71), lobbyist, fundraiser, historian, arts advocate and lifelong activist, West has devoted his professional life to working with American Indians on cultural, educational, legal and governmental issues. Before becoming director of the National Museum of the American Indian, West was a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson, and, subsequently, in the Indian-owned Albuquerque law firm of Gover, Stetson, Williams & West, P.C. He served as general counsel and special counsel to numerous tribes and organizations. In that capacity, he represented clients before federal, state and tribal courts, various executive departments of the federal government and Congress. As director of the National Museum of the American Indian, West was responsible for guiding the successful opening of the museum's three facilities. West's philosophy and vision for the museum were critical in guiding the architectural and program planning of the Mall museum. West was in residence at the UO School of Law during September and early October of 2006. He taught a class with Indian law professor Rennard Strickland entitled "Native American Cultural Rights and Intellectual Property." West gave a keynote address on the National Museum of the American Indian at a symposium on decolonizing the museum on September 14-15 at the Many Nations Longhouse. His public address on "Native America in the 21st Century: Out of the Mists and Beyond Myth" was held on the evening of October 3, 2006, at the Knight Law Center.
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