The primary goal of this project is to ensure the best stewardship for the bureau of land management collections at the museum of indian arts and culture by conducting general maintenance as well as…

The primary goal of this project is to ensure the best stewardship for the bureau of land management collections at the museum of indian arts and culture by conducting general maintenance as well as working on preparing collections for repatriation. The museum houses approximately 116 ancestors that are the responsibility of the BLM, many which also have associated funerary objects. In addition, collections in the amount of more than 10,000 objects are stored at the museum and this number continues to grow. These objects need consultation to determine the presence of other cultural items, as well as updating in housing and cataloging in some instances. Therefore, the newly hired staff member would be tasked with inventorying these collections and beginning to set out a schedule and list of priorities for consultation, as well as begin to research tribal affiliation for the collections. The end goal is to have a completed and updated inventory and report, along with a schedule of priorities for the BLM collections held at the museum. The museum requests funding for a contract staff member to work exclusively on BLM collections. This staff member would provide essential curatorial services to support increased preservation and monitoring of the BLM collections as well as producing reports and inventories of the collection. They ensure that BLM collections are housed appropriately, photographed, documented, and cared for. They serve as a point of contact for tribal communities and scholars who wish to access and view collections. The position is responsible for duties related to updating the native american graves protection and repatriation act (nagpra) object inventory that is required to bring the museum into compliance with federal nagpra reporting regulations. Tribal consultation to ensure nagpra compliance and best practices is a key part of this role.