This year at the Festival, Americans will see some venerable and wonderful North American institutions--a medicine show and a Caribbean-style Carnival. Some traditional aspects of these performances, however, will not be seen on the Mall because we have asked the performers not to show them. Rather than exercise a silent censorship, we decided to bring the discussion to you, the public, and explore a rare part of our national heritage that we do not wish to put on the Mall. We are speaking of ethnic stereotypes--here mainly of American Indians--that are often presented through acts and costumes in the entertainments we feature this year. Although certainly traditional and popular, and just as certainly often innocent and well intentioned, some aspects of the stereotypes disturb many people and, for this reason, we prefer not to present them. Our friends from the carnival and medicine show have agreed with this.