The Smithsonian has issued a statement supporting Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch following President Trump's claim that he fired the director of the National Portrait Gallery.

Since taking office, President Trump has aggressively tried to reshape cultural institutions. Last month, he claimed he was firing the director of the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery.

Statements recognizing Indigenous rights to territories seized by colonial powers may be well-meaning. But some Indigenous leaders fear these acknowledgments may become routine and performative.