About The Indian Museam

About the Museum

A diverse and multifaceted cultural and educational enterprise, the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) is an active and visible component of the Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum complex. The NMAI cares for one of the world's most expansive collections of Native artifacts, including objects, photographs, archives, and media covering the entire Western Hemisphere, from the Arctic Circle to Tierra del Fuego.

 

The National Museum of the American Indian operates three facilities. The museum on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., offers exhibition galleries and spaces for performances, lectures and symposia, research, and education. The George Gustav Heye Center (GGHC) in New York City houses exhibitions, research, educational activities, and performing arts programs. The Cultural Resources Center (CRC) in Suitland, Maryland, houses the museum's collections as well as the conservation, repatriation, and digital imaging programs, and research facilities. The NMAI's off-site outreach efforts, often referred to as the "fourth museum," include websites, traveling exhibitions, and community programs.

 

Since the passage of its enabling legislation in 1989 (amended in 1996), the NMAI has been steadfastly committed to bringing Native voices to what the museum writes and presents, whether on-site at one of the three NMAI venues, through the museum's publications, or via the Internet. The NMAI is also dedicated to acting as a resource for the hemisphere's Native communities and to serving the greater public as an honest and thoughtful conduit to Native cultures—present and past—in all their richness, depth, and diversity.

 

 

NMAI Director Kevin Gover (Pawnee). Photo by R.A. Whiteside, NMAI.

 

From the Director

The first twenty years of the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) were devoted to laying the physical, intellectual, and philosophical foundations of this institution—and what a foundation it is.

 

I feel a profound and increasing gratitude to the founders of this museum. We are here as a result of the farsighted and tireless efforts of Native culture warriors who demanded that the nation respect and celebrate the contributions that Native people have made to this country and to the world.

 

The three extraordinary facilities of this institution were built through the determination and intellect of very special people who led the NMAI through its youth. Because of their ideas and their toil, we have the firmest conceivable foundation for promoting the beauty of Native culture and expression, the role of Native peoples in Western and world history, and their ongoing contributions to humanity.

 

The physical foundation is certainly impressive, but the intellectual and philosophical groundwork of the NMAI is just as important. This metaphysical foundation was built by Native thinkers, Native culture bearers, and Native artists. That is why we try in every endeavor to speak authentically and to present Native peoples' deeply held understandings of their own cultures and histories.

 

The foundations are firm; the NMAI is ready to move forward with the job for which it was created. Our objective is no less than to change what the world knows about the Native peoples of the Americas and Hawai‘i. We seek to bring the Native voice into every school, every library, every university, indeed every home. Most Americans will never enter our museum, yet because of the digital revolution in communications we can reach them all.

 

Additionally, this good work would not be possible without the help of the tens of thousands of members, volunteers, and donors who support this museum, to whom we are forever indebted. We thank them for their financial contributions, of course, but also for the philosophical, political, and moral support that strengthens and emboldens this institution. Because of them, we can face the challenges that lie ahead with great optimism for this museum, for the Native communities we represent, and for the world.

 

Sincerely,

Kevin Gover (Pawnee), Director

National Museum of the American Indian

 

Training

The Museum Training Program is designed to meet the needs of museums and cultural centers that are owned and/or operated by Native communities and tribal entities. Programs include workshops, museum and repository research, and technical assistance—all using the unique resources and expertise of the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI).

 

WORKSHOPS IN MUSEUM TRAINING

Multi-day museum training workshops provide instruction on museum functions and address the needs of Native museums and cultural centers. Topics arise from field and needs assessments, workshop evaluations, formal training requests, and suggestions from host communities.

 

Previous workshops have provided information on museum basics, collections, audience development, exhibitions, archives and research, fund raising, and language preservation in museums. Various Native institutions have hosted workshops across the continent as well as at NMAI facilities in Suitland, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. For more information, see Past Workshops and Participants. Native museums in proximity to housing accommodations may also offer to serve as a host for future workshops.

 

Three to four workshops are offered each year, and up to fifteen participants are selected per workshop. Financial aid is available, and workshop application deadlines vary. Each workshop is announced on this website and via direct mail. To be added to the Museum Training mailing list, please contact program staff via phone or email.

 

MUSEUM TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

The Technical Assistance Program provides on-site assistance to Native museums and cultural centers in the form of instruction beyond the NMAI workshop experience. The program is designed to help a Native institution address a specific problem requiring outside expertise. Technical assistance visits by one or more NMAI advisors, dedicated to working with the host site, can be provided at no cost to the local institution depending on availability and whether local resources can be obtained. Past participants in this program have included the Huhugam Cultural Center, Sacaton, Arizona (to demonstrate the process of removing adhesives from baskets and pottery destined for exhibition); the Yurok Tribal Office, Klamath, California (presenters were sent for a regional repatriation seminar); and the Koskun Kalu Research Institute, Kuna Yala District, Panama (instructors were provided for a local museum workshop).

 

To apply, a representative of the institution should provide a one-page letter of inquiry on official letterhead, describing the type of assistance required by the museum or cultural center. There are no deadlines. Applicants with inquiries about the appropriateness of a request are encouraged to contact program staff via phone or email prior to submitting an application.

 

VISITING INDIGENOUS PROFESSIONAL (VIP) MUSEUM STUDIES PROGRAM

The Visiting Indigenous Professional (VIP) Museum Studies Program provides hands-on training in various disciplines to further the experience of individuals currently working in Native museums and cultural centers.

 

The VIP Program also provides technical advice in the planning and development of a museum or cultural center. Areas of interest include collections management, conservation, registration, library services, membership and visitor services, and exhibition development. Candidates are encouraged to contact NMAI staff to explore study options and topic ideas in order to prepare a strong proposal.

 

LIVING HOMES FOR CULTURAL EXPRESSION

The Museum Training Program’s guide to tribal museums and cultural centers in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico is entitled Living Homes for Cultural Expression: North American Native Perspectives on Creating Community Museums. The book is available free as a downloadable pdf. To order copies on CD, please contact the Museum Training Program via phone or email. To order printed books, visit the museum's online store.

 

Volunteering

Thank you for your interest in volunteering for the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI). Volunteers have provided an important means of support for the Smithsonian Institution since its establishment in 1846. Dedicated to the "increase and diffusion of knowledge," the Smithsonian is the world's largest museum complex with research facilities in the United States and abroad. The NMAI, with public locations on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and in New York City, is an important center for research committed to advancing knowledge and understanding of the Native cultures of the Western Hemisphere—past, present, and future—through partnership with Native people and others. The museum works to support the continuance of culture, traditional values, and transitions in contemporary Native life.

 

Qualified volunteers are patient, compassionate, effective communicators, interested in Native American art and cultures, and are enthusiastic about learning and teaching. Flexibility, good judgment, and the ability to work independently as well as within groups are additional skills for successful candidates. Applicants must be available on regular weekdays or on weekends and able to commit to the program. The NMAI provides all the necessary training to make volunteers successful.

 

OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTICIPATION

 

INTERPRETIVE SERVICES

 

Lelawi Theater: Museum visitors are encouraged to begin their visit at the Lelawi Theater. Opportunities at the Lelawi include working outside of the theater at a designated station, answering visitor questions, and keeping count of visitor numbers.

 

ImagiNATIONS Activity Center:  Kids, kids and more kids! If you've always wanted to interact with younger audiences and families, you have come to the right spot. Opportunities at the Center include maintenance and clean up, assisting with hands-on activities, and greeting visitors.

 

Welcome Desk: "Working the desk" is a wonderful way to meet and greet museum visitors. Opportunities here include answering visitor questions, directing visitors to destinations inside and outside of the museum, and helping to set the "tone" of the museum for visitors.

 

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

 

Cultural Arts (performing arts, arts demonstrations, thematic festivals): Responsibilities vary but may include greeting the public, passing out programs and other literature, staffing an information table, assisting backstage, and/or helping with set-up/break down. Some events take place on weekends or evenings.

 

Film & Video: For special screenings, volunteers help by handing out programs and evaluation forms and keeping track of visitor numbers. During "Dinner and A Movie" programs, volunteers collect tickets, hand out programs, and greet visitors. Volunteers may also help visitors with email sign-up sheets, provide membership information, and collect program evaluation forms.

 

Seminars & Symposia Programs: Intrigued by the themes of "American Indian Knowledge," "American Indian Expression," "Contact," and "American Indian Origins"? The NMAI's Seminars & Symposia programs provide a public forum for engagement with these and other vital historical and contemporary topics of concern and interest to Native peoples and the general public. Volunteers assist with participant logistics, setting up, ushering, handing out programs, and answering questions. The ability to speak Spanish is helpful for some programs. Those interested in helping out on a continuing basis are heartily welcomed!

 

MEMBERSHIP & DEVELOPMENT

 

Membership Information Table Staffer for Public Programs:Volunteers meet current and prospective members at various public programs and events, including concerts, cultural presentations, lectures, and plays.  Membership table staffers provide information on the membership program, register new members, and encourage visitors to sign up for the museum's e-newsletter.

 

APPLICATIONS

 

To view current volunteering opportunities at the NMAI in Washington, D.C., and New York, N.Y., as well as throughout the Smithsonian, visit the Smithsonian’s Available Opportunities for Volunteer Service page, and apply online.