with permission
from the Tucson Citizen
Monday, May 17, 2004

Museums will help tribal libraries

A grant will go toward producing a national directory of libraries and organizing a national conference.

by PAUL L. ALLEN

The Arizona State Museum and the Arizona State Library have been awarded a $248,829 federal grant to develop programs that will help tribal and museum libraries around the country collaborate, produce a national directory of tribal libraries and organize a national conference of tribal and museum library representatives.

The two-year grant, arranged through the Institute of Museum and Library Services, will involve Tamastislikt (Umatilla) Cultural Institute of Pendleton, Ore., and Oregon State Library; Colorado River Indian Tribes Library and Archive at Parker, Ariz., and Arizona State Library; and The Akwesasne Library and Museum (Mohawk Nation) at Hogansburg, N.Y.

"Despite the increased access to technology-based communications, there is still a need for facilitating person-to-person contact," said Alyce Sadongei, assistant curator for Native American Relations at ASM.

"The model projects, as well as the directory and national conference, are designed to allow diverse professionals to begin to explore collaborative projects as a solution to mutual concerns."

Results of the three model projects will be presented at a national conference May 24-27, 2005, at Mesa Centennial Center. Susan Secakuku, a Hopi Reservation resident who will serve as project coordinator, said, "We hope to attract up to 300 tribal representatives and their nontribal colleagues from libraries, archives and museums across the country."

Hartman Lomawaima, ASM director, said, "The Arizona State Museum has a history of working with tribes in the state and we are proud to be one of the catalysts in promoting the contemporary cultural work of tribal communities."