Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian: “The
Great Inka Road: Engineering an Empire”
Photo: Paul Morigi/AP Images for Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian
NATIONAL
HISPANIC
HERITAGE
MONTH
DC 2017
BY LISA FRANCE
In 1968, under the Lyndon B. Johnson administration, the tradition of celebrating histories, cultures and the
contributions of Hispanic Americans began as a weeklong observation commencing the week of September 10. In
1988, Ronald Reagan expanded the commemoration to last an entire month, beginning on September 15. Later
in that same year, the National Hispanic Heritage Month went from proclamation to law. It was Gerald Ford who
issued the fi rst formal proclamation in 1974 by “…wishing to pay special tribute to the Hispanic tradition, and having
in mind the fact that fi ve of our Central American neighbors celebrate their Independence Day on the fi fteenth of
September and the Republic of Mexico on the sixteenth…”
Latinos are the fastest growing group in the District of Columbia,
with over 70,000 people living in the city. In this 45th year of
celebration, spanning September 15 to October 16, many D.C. public
offi ces, museums, libraries and parks will present special exhibits
and events to celebrate the culture, history and tradition of over 57
million Hispanic Americans.
In addition to live events and exhibits, there are notable online
exhibits, which are not only visually compelling, but educational. The
Great Inka Road online exhibit is a fascinating look at the construction
of one of the oldest and largest networks of handmade roads in the
world. It is comprised of over 20,000 miles of a singular design, which
leads through rivers, mountains and deserts. It connects the countries
of Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, Bolivia and Chile in a maze of what the
Inka called Tawantisuyu. The Qhapaq Ñan, or road of the Inka, is an
architectural triumph and wonder to say the least. Visit the online
exhibition at nmai.si.edu/inkaroad/.
To kick off Fiesta DC on September 16, the colorful and energetic
Parade of Nations will be from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. It commences on
Constitution Ave. and 7th Street NW (near the National Archives
Building), and will continue east to 14th Street NW (front of the
Smithsonian National Museum of American History). Each year there
are exciting performances on the event stage at 10th Street and
Constitution Ave. NW. Expect dances, cultural expressions of style,
music and fl oats from all Hispanic and Latin nations. For three full
hours, enjoy moving human art as it rhythmically fl ows through the
city streets.
On September 17, from 11 a.m. to 7p.m., check out the Fiesta DC
Festival. In the 1970s, it was called the Latino Festival and took place
in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood, which was, and still is, home to
many Latino families and businesses. The festival was moved to a
more prominent location downtown at Pennsylvania and Constitution
Avenues in 2012.
AUTUMN 2017 47 FLYWASHINGTON.COM