Architect of the Capitol "Landing of the Pilgrims," an 1825 sandstone carving in the Capitol Rotunda, shows a Native man bowing down to a colonizer with corn as he rolls up on a ship that says 1620 on it. What?

WASHINGTON ― It’s time to clean up the racist images of Native Americans all over the U.S. Capitol, House appropriators told the Architect of the Capitol in a new report.

“There are depictions of Native Americans throughout the Capitol complex that do not portray Native Americans as equals or Indian nations as independent sovereigns. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the way these works are described during Capitol tours is not always respectful,” reads a provision buried in a 51-page bill report accompanying the 2020 legislative branch spending bill, which the House Appropriations Committee passed last week.

Lawmakers made several requests of the Architect of the Capitol, which oversees the buildings and grounds of the Capitol. They want the office to consider displaying the flags of American Indian Nations with the flags of states draped around the Capitol; to talk to Native American historians to ensure that artwork “more accurately and respectfully” represents Native American history; and to consider displaying information somewhere in the Capitol “correcting the sometimes incomplete or incorrect depictions of Native Americans portrayed in historical artwork in the complex.”

The Architect of the Capitol is currently reformatting tours to address some of these concerns, the report notes, and is reframing an exhibit on the timeline of Congress and the Capitol. A spokeswoman for the Architect of the Capitol did not respond to a request for comment on what changes they plan to make.

Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) is behind this language in the bill report, according to committee spokesman Evan Hollander.

“We were glad to include it,” he said.

Haaland, one of two Native congresswomen and a co-chair of the Native American Caucus, said all Americans should feel welcome when visiting the Capitol.

“The depictions of Native Americans throughout the Capitol complex and the U.S. Capitol Rotunda reinforce inaccurate and oftentimes racist stereotypes about Native Americans,” she said in a statement. “So, I asked for a review of all the Native American artwork throughout to fully understand the extent that these images exist. After getting this report, I’ll work on ways to acknowledge how damaging imagery like this has been for Native communities in our country, and ways to make sure our community feels welcome in these buildings.”