The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) bestowed its top national award for excellence, the Award of Merit, to the Plains Indian Museum. The honor was granted for the reinterpretation of the Plains Indian Museum; an expansive project completed in June 2000 after five years of research and planning. The award recognized the Plains Indian Museum's excellence in the collection, preservation, and interpretation of history. Awards will be presented during the 2001 ASSLH Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana, September 13, 2001.