ACCESS FOR NATIVE PEOPLE AND THE PUBLIC: EXHIBITS AT THE SMITHSONIAN'S NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN

Abstract

One of the duties of conservators at the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) is to serve as conservation liaison to exhibit projects. The role of the conservation liaison is to ensure that preservation and conservation issues are considered throughout the exhibit development and production, and to ensure that the conservation treatment process incorporates the concerns of other museum staff and Native community members who are involved in the project. This paper uses a recent exhibit Listening to our Ancestors to illustrate how the conservation liaison ensures collaboration both with other NMAI staff and contractors and with Native people who work with the museum to produce exhibits and to involve conservation staff at all stages.