W. Richard West, Jr., a citizen of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma and a Peace Chief of the Southern Cheyenne, is founding director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian.

Clara Sue Kidwell, is an academic scholar, historian, feminist and Native American author. She is the former Assistant Director for Cultural Resources at the National Museum of the American Indian and is the director of Native American studies at the University of Oklahoma.

Charlotte Heth and Richard W. Hill, Sr., also played important roles in the development of the museum.