Return of the Corn Mothers

In exhibit news ...

ASU’s Museum of Anthropology will conduct an opening reception for its new exhibit, "Return of the Corn Mothers" from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Oct. 28. The show's focus is a photo exhibition of women who have earned accolades for community activism and creative endeavors. Each featured woman also recounts, in story form, her memories of the women who influenced her in her life journey. [More here.]

AAA Ethics Task Force

The AAA Ethics Task Force has begun to report on its work. Check it out and join the dialogue here.

Smithsonian Position Opening

Job Title: Museum Specialist (Anthropology)
Agency: Smithsonian Institution
Sub Agency: Smithsonian
Job Announcement Number: 11A-RM-296453A-MPA-NMNH

Salary Range: $62,467.00 - $81,204.00 /year
Series & GradeDefinition: GS-1016-11/11
Promotion Potential: 11
Open Period: Thursday, October 21, 2010 to Thursday, November 04, 2010
Position Information: Full-Time, Permanent Federal
Duty Locations: 1 vacancy - Washington DC Metro Area, DC

Job Summary:
This position is located in the Collections Management Unit, Collections and Archives Program Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Museum Support Center, Suitland, Maryland. The employee in this position acts as the Collections Data Manager and is responsible for the maintenance and management of the Department of Anthropology's collection information database (currently 563,000 records in EMu).

Key Requirements:

* Requires Federal permanent status or eligibility.
* Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.

Major Duties:
* Responsible for the maintenance and management of the Department of Anthropology's collection information database.
* Responsible for the integrity, enhancement and validity of collections data.
* Designs, documents, and/or maintains programs for bar coding, digitization, or other applications that enhance the collections database.
* Provides database training to department staff, both permanent and temporary. Makes subsets of the collections data available in electronic or printed form in response to requests for collections information from staff, researchers, and the public. Assists with researcher access and tours of the Anthropology collections.

Experience:
You must have one year of full-time experience at the GS-9 level in a museum environment that includes working with and providing access to anthropological collections and collections data using collections management principles and practices; ensuring inventory control; maintaining and managing an anthropological collections database; establishing data standards and procedures; responding to public and professional inquiries; and training individuals in the use of collections databases.

More information on how to apply here.

Education Curator Opening

Job ID: 7186297
Position Title: Education Curator
Company Name: Southern Ute Cultural Center
Job Function: Education
Entry Level: No
Job Type: Full-Time
Location(s): Ignacio, Colorado, 81137, United States
Posted: September 13, 2010
Job Duration: Indefinite
Min Education: BA/BS/Undergraduate
Min Experience: 2-3 Years
Required Travel: 10-25%
Salary: $15.34 - $22.12 (Hourly Wage)

The Southern Ute Cultural Center & Museum (SUCCM) seeks an Education Curator to lead a new department responsible for community engagement through public and student programs. Working collaboratively with other departments, the Education Curator will have 4 primary areas of responsibility including oversight of a comprehensive K-12 school-visitation program, construction of an annual programmatic slate plus the design of on-site interpretive materials, supervision of a docent and volunteer program, and collaborative development of exhibits and interpretive techniques.

The Education Curator will supervise 3-5 staff, work closely with a developing tribal consultant and volunteer coordinator, and oversee high school and college student interns. Available immediately, the position reports to the Executive Director. Along with annual goal setting, he/she will develop and manage the departmental budget.

SUCCM seeks a creative, innovative, and dependable person with a keen understanding for what types of programs interest a wide range of visitors and participants. The individual chosen will have proven leadership qualities, is a team player, and has a familiarity and understanding of American Indian culture and history.

The candidate will have a Bachelor's Degree in education, history, anthropology, or other related discipline; a Master's degree is preferred. Other qualifications include:

-two years minimum experience teaching or equivalent experience in museum education
-familiarity with strategies for communicating ideas and information in exhibit and education/program formats
-a strong track record in developing community-focused programs
-experience in evaluating the success of museum program
-experience in curriculum design and grant writing
-demonstrated success in leading a diverse professional and volunteer staff
-This position requires excellent oral and written communication skills and an energetic and collaborative leadership style that encourages broad community engagement.

For a more complete job description, contact Marian Gilmore at mgilmore@southern-ute.nsn.us.

Postdoc Opportunity

Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Curatorial Fellowship 2011–2013

The Metropolitan Museum of Art offers a residential postdoctoral fellowship for individuals who have received their doctoral degrees in art history or archaeology within the past five years and by the September 1, 2011 start date. This fellowship provides curatorial training and opportunities for scholarly research at the Metropolitan Museum. The fellow will have a two-year term, with the possibility of renewal for a third.

Fellows will be fully integrated into one the Museum's curatorial departments and, while exposed to the full range of curatorial work, will devote their time to a specific Metropolitan Museum project developed by the hosting department. Individuals will work directly with one or more senior curators, who will serve as supervisors and mentors throughout the term of the fellowship. Each fellow will also have the opportunity to undertake an independent project in consultation with his or her supervising curator.

The deadline for the curatorial fellowship is November 5, 2010.

For further information about the projects available for the 2011-2013 term as well as instructions about how to apply, please visit our website: http://www.metmuseum.org/education/er_fellow.asp

Office of Grants and Fellowships
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10028-0198
Tel. 212-650-2763
Fax 212-396-5168
Email: Education.Grants@metmuseum.org

Museum Director Opening

POSITION: MUSEUM DIRECTOR
SALARY: D.O.E.
CLOSING DATE: MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2010 AT 5:00 P.M.

DUTIES: Museum Director is directly responsible for operation of Museum activities. Collects, authenticates, preserves, maintains, exhibits, researches and furnishes information of Tribal historical artistic, scientific or technological significance for Colorado River Indian Tribes, Tribal membership and general public. Duties and responsibilities, include but not limited to the following:

• Gather material for the museum collections for purposes of display, research or through gift.
• Purchase loan or museum expedition.
• Supervise and be responsible for the proper registration, cataloging and storage of these collections. Plan and execute displays within the museum gallery meaningful to the interpretation of the Colorado River Indian Tribes past and present.
• Oversee and participate in all archaeological excavations and explorations conducted on or near the reservation, and archaeological workers required by C.R.l.T. development ordinance.
• Coordinates with planning department and Resource Development Committee staff in accordance with land use ordinance.
• Act as liaison person between interested universities, museums and other institutions and Tribal Council.
• Solicit and allocate funds for archaeological work.
• Plan and participate in exposition that display and sell Indian arts and crafts off Reservation.
• Arrange and conducts tour groups through Museum.
• Prepare educational programs to enhance the understanding of the pre-historic and natural resources of the region to the general public.
• Work with Education institutions to interpret information contained in the museum.
• Supervise and participate in the recording of oral history, ethnic transcription.

REQUIREMENTS:
B.A in Anthropology, History or archaeology, three years experience in public relations, collections management, conservation, exhibition and grant writing, Basic computer literate.

APPLY AT:
C.R.l.T. HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT
26600 MOHAVE ROAD
PARKER, ARIZONA 85344

FOR APPLICATIONS VISIT: http//www.crit-nsngov

CFP: Words and Objects

Annual Conference of the Museum Ethnographers Group to be held at the Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford, UK on Thursday 14 and Friday 15 April 2011

Words and Objects: Writing on, around and about things

We invite papers from museum ethnographers and others that focus on the analysis of the words written on, around and about museum things; that is, the diverse forms of tangible and virtual documents written about objects including inscriptions, labels, display texts, indexes, catalogues and databases.

We will be interested in papers that explore the role of words in the documentation, interpretation and presentation of objects—both historically and in the present, and in what such analysis tells us about both explicit and implicit aspects of museum practice. Speakers might also want to explore issues relating to translation and transcription which are often key to producing the textual adjuncts to objects.

During the final discussion at 'Making Things' (MEG's 2010 conference at the University of Reading's Museum of Rural Life), there was an interesting but unresolved discussion about the point of analysing labels and catalogue entries. While some argued that the main point of such work was to throw light on original provenance and thus on indigenous purpose and meanings, others emphasized the value of a focus on old labels and texts for studying the lives of objects in museums. We hope that the 2011 conference will continue and broaden this discussion.

Offers of papers discussing such questions in related fields will also be welcome. As usual, one session of the conference will be devoted to shorter reports on prospective, new, current or recently completed projects of interest to museum ethnographers. Main session papers will be 20 minutes long (with 10 minutes for questions), the shorter reports will be 10 minutes. Outline submissions should include a title, a short description of the paper's contents (no more than 200 words) and name and contact details of the speaker. Submissions should be sent to:

Jeremy Coote
Joint Head of Collections,
Pitt Rivers Museum,
University of Oxford,
South Parks Road,
Oxford
OX1 3PP
phone: (44) (0)1865 613005
email: jeremy.coote@prm.ox.ac.uk

The deadline for submissions is 7 January 2011. Booking for the conference will commence in early January 2011, please go to the Museum Ethnographers Group website for further information: http://www.museumethnographersgroup.org.uk/

Please note that all speakers at the conference are required to pay conference fees and that the Museum Ethnographers Group does not have any funds available to meet speakers' expenses.

NAGPRA Nearing 20

As we near the 20th anniversary of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), on November 16, there's more in news on repatriation (of course, aside from our special issue of Museum Anthropology!).

Check out this set of articles in Science magazine. The articles are accessible if you sign up for the website (at no cost).

An interesting review of NAGPRA in Nebraska here.

If you're interested in these issues and want to be part of the discussion, try to make the "NAGPRA at 20" conference to be held in Washington, DC, on November 15-16, 2010. More information here.

Also, some news from Canada: Nearly 300 historically significant Nisga'a artifacts collected in northwestern B.C. in the early 20th century -- some described as "masterpieces" of native art -- are to be repatriated next week by officials from two major Canadian museums. [Read more here.]

New Wake Forest Museum Online Database

The Museum of Anthropology at Wake Forest University creates awareness of global cultures by collecting, protecting, managing, and exhibiting archaeological artifacts, ethnographic objects, and visual arts of past and present peoples, and providing opportunities for intercultural learning. The museum was established by the faculty of the Department of Anthropology in 1963 to broaden learning opportunities for students. The museum’s collections, exhibits, educational programs, and outreach have since grown extensively. [Read more here and here.]

Visit the Museum of Anthropology Online Artifact Database here.

CFP: Do World Art and World Anthropologies Relate?

CALL FOR PAPERS

PANEL AT ASSOCIATION OF ART HISTORIANS CONFERENCE, 31 March - 2 April 2011

Re-Worlding: Do World Art and World Anthropologies Relate?

*

The field of world art has emerged in recent years as a means to re-engage with issues of universalism and relativism in diverse aesthetic, pedagogic and institutional contexts. This field has resonance for artists, museum professionals, cultural policy makers and researchers of contemporary and historical practices in the new humanities and social sciences. World anthropologies pertain to the emergence of new networks of inter-cultural knowledge and performance, especially those related to identity-construction and (non-)representation in the global south.

The panel aims to define and assess the possibilities for interaction between the two fields by inviting critical and imaginative responses to the following questions: How do world art and world anthropologies relate? What are the political, epistemological and social implications of using 'world' entities in interdisciplinary practice? Can exponents to these fields contribute to the making of (i) new inter-cultural imaginaries, (ii) trans-national and trans-local reconciliations, and (iii) alternative institutions, networks and structures?

The conveners encourage critical and practical contributions addressing how representations of place, personhood, and participation - across ethnographic, museological and artistic imaginaries - make the confluence of world art and world anthropologies efficacious, in terms of the de-centering of power and knowledge. Contributors will discuss the intellectual, discursive and political relevance of an interlacing of world art with ethnographic reflexivity, critical race
theory, multiple and regional modernities, and other decolonizing methodologies.

*

The closing date for proposals is November 8th 2010. Please send your abstracts directly to D.Rycroft@uea.ac.uk.

*

Dr Daniel J. Rycroft

Lecturer, Arts and Cultures of Asia, School of World Art Studies and Museology
University of Anglia, Norwich, UK. NR4 7TJ

Joint Editor, World Art [Routledge journals: www.tandf.co.uk/journals/rwor]

Columbus Day Exhbit

The Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology will feature an exhibit about Columbus Day in response to the Fall Weekend name change. The exhibit will go up in October and will be part of the current "Reimagining the Americas" exhibition.

"The exhibit is about the history of Columbus Day and a little bit about Columbus himself," said Museum Director Steven Lubar. "Holidays are important because they tell us something about who we are as a people and how we change," he added. [Read more here.]

Curator Opening

Curator, Western Canadian Archaeology ($57,844 - $72,305) Permanent Full-Time Position - Position Number 9396 (This position is subject to the Museum scholars promotion policy, with a potential maximum salary of $116,787)

The Archeology and History Division is currently seeking a dynamic individual who will, under the direction of the Director, Archaeology and History, propose, research and plan exhibitions; plan and conduct problem-oriented archaeological research in western Canada and adjacent regions; communicate the results of this research to a variety of publics and through a variety of media, including scholarly publications; curate and contribute to other exhibitions as appropriate; contribute to collections development and public programming; provide professional leadership and inform and influence a wide variety of audiences about the archaeology of Western Canada; perform related duties as assigned.

As the ideal candidate, you hold a PhD (or equivalent) in Canadian Archaeology.

You possess knowledge of:

• The archaeology of the Canadian Prairie Provinces and/or British Columbia and adjacent regions; • Scholarly research and research methods in Archaeology and related disciplines; • Applied research in a museum environment; • The Canadian Museum of Civilization’s programs and activities.

You have experience in:

• Conducting complex and extensive research on the archaeology of western Canada and adjacent regions; • Writing scholarly books and articles, and communicating in other media, on the archaeology of Western Canada, and related topics; • Exhibitions development; • Documenting and using museum collections; • Presenting information through popular writing, lectures and exhibitions to the general public.

Since you will be working in a highly computerized environment, a demonstrated experience of word processing (Word), electronic spreadsheet (Excel), presentation (Power Point) and electronic mail (Outlook) is required.

The following core competencies, which are a deciding measure of success for this challenging opportunity, are: Conceptual Thinking; Concern for Order and Quality; Expertise; Impact and Influence; Planning & Initiative; Teamwork and Cooperation.

External candidates can access definitions of these Core competencies on our web site. CMCC’s employees can access the employee’s Infocenter/CMCC Core competencies Dictionary on the Intranet.

This position requires the use of both Official Languages (French/English) BBB imperative and an enhanced reliability check. For a detailed definition of the linguistic level required, access our web site. Please note that this position is open to CMCC employees, external candidates and applicants of our inventory.

The Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation is committed to the principles of Employment Equity and to achieving a workforce which is representative of the Canadian population. We strongly encourage candidates to self-identify if they are an Aboriginal person, a member of a visible minority group or a person with a disability.

We thank all candidates for showing interest in our Corporation; however, only retained candidates will be contacted.

The Corporation may inventory the information received from candidates for other similar positions.

Interested in this opportunity? Please apply no later than October 29, 2010 at 4:00 p.m. as instructed on the web site: www.civilization.ca/careers under “Current Job Opportunities.

Associate Curator Opening

Associate Curator – North American Archaeology

The Royal Ontario Museum is Canada’s pre-eminent international museum and houses important collections in World Cultures and Natural History (www.rom.on.ca). The ROM is pleased to invite applications for the position of Associate Curator of North American Archaeology. This is a tenure-track entry-level position comparable to an Assistant Professor position at a university.

The successful applicant will join the New World Archaeology section of the Department of World Cultures, which houses an impressive collection of over 100,000 archaeological objects from North America. She/He will have a strong record of problem-oriented research and publication that will complement the ROM’s existing strengths in archaeology. ROM Curators are expected to: develop a dynamic program of collection-based scholarship through acquisitions, permanent and temporary exhibits; to participate in public programs and public outreach; and to undertake an active program of research that leads to publication and presentation of work in peer-reviewed scholarly outlets. Curators are expected to seek external funding in support of their research programs.

Qualifications: Applicants must have a Ph.D. in Archaeology at the time of appointment. Geographic specialization is open to anywhere in the United States or Canada, but those working in Ontario and/or the Great Lakes Region are particularly encouraged to apply. Applicants should have a strong background of work within a museum environment and experience working with indigenous groups. Applicants also must be qualified for cross-appointment to the University of Toronto.

Salary and rank are commensurate with experience as stipulated in the Collective Agreement between the ROM and ROM Curatorial Association and the successful candidate is eligible for promotional progression through curatorial ranks to Senior Curator.

Applications for the position will be accepted until November 5, 2010. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. Applicants should provide a letter of interest detailing their research interests and projects, curriculum vitae, and one published/scholarly writing sample. Forward all to:

Royal Ontario Museum, Human Resources Department
100 Queen’s Park, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 2C6
Fax # 416-586-5827

IARC Lecture Series

The Indian Arts Research Center (IARC) is pleased to announce its 2010–2011 Speaker Series.

Realizing the need for practical application training in working with tribal collections, the IARC presents Getting Back to Basics: Practice and Process in Native Collections Care as this year’s theme. Each lecture will start at 12:30 pm in the SAR Boardroom with lectures and discussions lasting 1.5 hours. Events with workshops will last approximately 2–3 hours. This series is open and FREE to the public but reservations are required. RSVP to (505) 954-7205 or by email at iarc@sarsf.org.

October 14, 2010, 12:30–3:30 pm
Lecture and Mini-workshop: Conserving Two-Dimensional Native
Collections
Dale Kronkright, Head of Conservation, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
RSVP no later than Wednesday, October 6. Space is limited to 20 people.

November 18, 2010, 12:30–3:30 pm
Lecture and Mini-workshop: Archival Records and Document
Management
Diane Bird, Archivist, Museum of Indian Arts & Culture/Laboratory
of Anthropology
RSVP no later than Wednesday, November 10. Space is limited to 40 people.

February 24, 2011, 12:30–2:00 pm
Panel Discussion: NAGPRA’s Newest Rule—43 CFR 10.11
Bambi Kraus, Director, National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation
Peter Pino, Tribal Administrator, Zia Pueblo
Gary Roybal, Native American Liaison, Bandelier National Monument
RSVP no later than Wednesday, February 16.

March 17, 2011, 12:30–2:00 pm
Lecture: Creating Collaborative Catalogs
Jim Enote, Director, A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center
RSVP no later than Wednesday, March 9.

April 14, 2011, 12:30–3:30 pm
Lecture and Mini-workshop: Preserving Three-Dimensional Native
Works
Bettina Raphael, Conservator in Private Practice

American Indian Studies Position

Brown University’s Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America (CSREA) announces a tenured position at the associate or full level in American Indian Studies. We are seeking an interdisciplinary scholar with grounding in the humanities or social sciences whose work in the field will contribute to the study and teaching of race and ethnicity at Brown. Of particular interest are applicants whose work includes the study and practice of public scholarship, such as museum studies, ethnographic filmmaking, or public history or anthropology.

The appointment will be shared between CSREA and the department appropriate to the candidate’s educational background and primary field of research, including but not limited to American Civilization (including Public Humanities), Anthropology, English, or History. Appropriate candidates may also be appointed as a curator at Brown’s Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology, a teaching museum with extensive Native collections. We welcome applicants whose research focuses on Native American/ American Indian/Native Alaskan topics. A Ph.D. and publications and teaching experience appropriate to a tenured appointment at a research university are required, as is a commitment to teaching excellence at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. Brown University is an EEO/AA employer.

To apply, please submit a letter, a complete c.v., and the names of at least five distinguished scholars who can provide references to: Profs. Evelyn Hu-DeHart and Steven Lubar, co-chairs, American Indian Studies Search Committee, CSREA, Box 1886, 150 Power St., Brown University, Providence, RI 02912. Review of complete application will begin on December 15, 2010, and continue until the position is filled.

Inquiries are welcome. Please e-mail Prof. Evelyn Hu-DeHart, Director, CSREA, at Evelyn_Hu-DeHart@brown.edu, or Steven Lubar, Director, Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology, at lubar@brown.edu.

SAA Scholarships

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR NATIVE PEOPLES FROM THE AMERICAS AND PACIFIC ISLANDS

The Society for American Archaeology (SAA) is pleased to announce the following 2011 scholarships opportunities:

 SAA Native American Graduate Archaeology Scholarship
To support graduate studies for Native American students, including but not limited to tuition, travel, food, housing, books, supplies, equipment, and child care (up to $10,000).

 SAA Native American Undergraduate Archaeology Scholarship
To support undergraduate studies for Native American students, including but not limited to tuition, travel, food, housing, books, supplies, equipment, and child care (up to $5,000).

 SAA Arthur C. Parker Scholarship or NSF Scholarship for Archaeological Training
To support archaeological training or a research program for Native American students or employees of tribal cultural preservation programs (up to $4,000).

These scholarships are intended for current students—high school seniors, college undergraduates, and graduate students—and personnel of Tribal or other Native cultural preservation programs. High school students must be currently enrolled as seniors to be eligible. Undergraduates and graduate students must be enrolled in an accredited college or university. These scholarships are open to all Native peoples from anywhere in the Americas, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Indigenous Pacific Islanders.

The SAA Arthur C. Parker Scholarship is named in honor of the first SAA President, who served from 1935 to 1936. Parker was of Seneca ancestry through his father’s family, and he spent his youth on the Cattaraugus Reservation in New York. The NSF Scholarships for Archaeological Training for Native Americans and Native Hawaiians are made possible by a grant from the National Science Foundation to the SAA.

Submission and Deadline Procedures

The application form is available online at: www.saa.org/scholarships. The complete application must be received by DECEMBER 15.

If you have questions about these scholarships or you need help with locating a field school or other training program, please contact the Society for American Archaeology at: telephone +1 (202) 789-8200; fax +1 (202) 789-0284; or email nasf@saa.org. Your questions will be relayed to someone who can assist you.