NEWSWEEK asked descendants of key figures in civil rights history to write letters to their ancestors describing their thoughts and feelings about the historic inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States. And to add to the record, we’ve collected letters from students and notable figures to Obama, and discussed the power of words with will.i.am and the inaugural poet.

Newsweek Video | Beyond Words: Two Heirs to Two Great Americans.

Get in touch with America’s past with offerings from these small businesses owned by tribal members.

The view from one of the hotel’s balconies of Monument Valley.

• Full story: Going tribal in the Badlands

The View Hotel stands right inside the spectacular Monument Valley. You can take Navajo-led hiking and jeep tours of the mitten rock formations, ancient Anasazi dwellings, petroglyphs and natural arches. An all-day jeep tour costs $118, including lunch. The hotel, owned by Armanda Ortega, a member of the Navajo Nation, opened in December. Room rates range from $99 to $225.

Traveling in Native America – Arizona: A Valley of history (1) – Small Business.

Circus training unites kids of all backgrounds – Wonderful World- msnbc.com.

ST. LOUIS – When looking for a way to bring together children of different races, religions and financial means, most people might not think of juggling, tumbling and aerial acts as their “go-to” tools.

Jessica Hentoff does.

Hentoff, 53, is the executive and artistic director of a circus school run out of the City Museum in St. Louis. She brings together children who normally wouldn’t cross paths and unifies them through circus training and performances.

A program created for architects is an unexpected hit with children on the spectrum.

SketchUp: Why Kids With Autism Love It | Newsweek Health | Newsweek.com.

Science is rich with happy flukes. Remember the story of penicillin? Alexander Fleming discovered the bacteria-destroying mold by accident when he left a culture dish uncovered in his lab in 1928. Eight decades later, here’s another one: a Googlesoftware program called SketchUp, which was intended largely for architects and design professionals, has found a very unexpected and welcome fan base—children with autism. SketchUp is not only entertaining kids with autism spectrum disorders, it’s providing them with skills that might one day help them as they age out of school and into the workforce.