Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian Scholars Program

Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian Scholars Program
Name	Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian Scholars Program
Established	2000s
Location	Washington, D.C.; New York City
Type	Fellowship and internship program

Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian Scholars Program provides experiential research, curatorial, and public-engagement opportunities for Indigenous scholars, artists, and community leaders affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian facilities in Washington, D.C. and New York City. The program situates participants within museum practice related to Native American, First Nations, Native Hawaiian and Alaska Natives cultural heritage, bridging scholarship linked to collections, exhibitions, and community outreach. Fellows engage with a network that overlaps with institutions such as the Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, and academic centers like the Harvard University's Harvard-Yenching Institute.

Overview

The Scholars Program centers on mentorship, research, and professional development tied to the National Museum of the American Indian collections and programs housed under the Smithsonian Institution. It recruits emerging and mid-career individuals with ties to tribal nations such as the Navajo Nation, Cherokee Nation, Lakota people, Ojibwe, Pueblo peoples, Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and Tlingit communities. Participants work on projects ranging from cataloging linked to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act to exhibition planning that engages partners like the National Gallery of Art and universities such as University of California, Berkeley and Columbia University.

History and Development

Rooted in the late 20th- and early 21st-century efforts to center Indigenous voices in museum practice, the program evolved alongside milestones including the passage of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and institutional shifts across the Smithsonian Institution following consultations with tribal leadership from the National Congress of American Indians and regional tribal councils. Influences include noted Native scholars and advocates such as Vine Deloria Jr., Winona LaDuke, John Mohawk, and museum professionals trained at institutions like the Institute of American Indian Arts and School for Advanced Research. The program expanded with collaborations in New York City and federal arts initiatives connected to the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Program Structure and Curriculum

Curriculum components combine archival research, curatorial practice, and community-engaged scholarship. Fellows undertake work with the museum's collections, conservation labs, and education units, aligning with methodologies used at the American Anthropological Association, American Alliance of Museums, and university museum programs at University of Michigan and Smith College. Training modules include provenance research relevant to the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990, digital humanities techniques employed by teams at Indiana University Bloomington and University of Virginia, and exhibition design practices informed by curators from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Brooklyn Museum. The program also offers public programming frameworks comparable to initiatives by National Public Radio and the New York Public Library.

Eligibility and Application Process

Eligibility targets Indigenous scholars, artists, and cultural practitioners affiliated with tribal nations, tribal colleges such as Haskell Indian Nations University and Bureau of Indian Education partners, or community cultural centers like the Alaska Native Heritage Center. Applicants submit portfolios, project proposals, and letters from tribal authorities or academic mentors associated with institutions including Stanford University, Yale University, Dartmouth College, or tribal community organizations like Native American Rights Fund. Selection committees include curators, researchers, and representatives from bodies such as the National Congress of American Indians and foundations like the Ford Foundation.

Partnerships and Collaborations

The Scholars Program collaborates with federal, academic, and cultural partners. Cooperative relationships extend to the Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Museum of African American History and Culture, and university partners including University of New Mexico and University of Washington. The program engages with tribal museums and cultural centers such as the Autry Museum of the American West, Heard Museum, Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, and the Sealaska Heritage Institute. Research links have been forged with scholars at Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and international partners like Canadian Museum of History and the Australian Museum for comparative Indigenous museum practice.

Impact and Alumni Outcomes

Alumni have moved into leadership roles at institutions such as the National Museum of the American Indian, Heard Museum, Autry Museum of the American West, and academic posts at University of Arizona, University of British Columbia, and Arizona State University. Graduates have produced publications in venues like the Smithsonian Contributions to Anthropology series and worked on high-profile exhibitions that toured to venues including the Field Museum, American Museum of Natural History, and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. Program alumni have influenced repatriation cases adjudicated under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and contributed to cultural policy dialogues alongside entities such as the National Endowment for the Humanities and the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

Funding and Administration

Administration is overseen within the Smithsonian Institution framework, with funding streams originating from federal appropriations, grants from foundations like the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Ford Foundation, and private donors linked to trusts such as the Rockefeller Foundation. Program oversight involves museum leadership, tribal advisory councils, and administrative partners including the Office of Personnel Management for staffing frameworks and grant management offices at institutions such as the National Endowment for the Arts.

Category:Smithsonian Institution