CMA Student Travel Award

The CMA Board has created this new prize -- Check it out and pass the word!

The CMA Travel Awards are designed to support student travel to the annual AAA meeting to present papers and/or posters. Students and recent PhDs (those who have defended within the year of the award) are eligible to apply. CMA will award two prizes of $500 each.

Applications are due on September 1 of the given year. A brief letter of application must indicate the applicant’s status as a student or recent PhD holder, and explain how this paper/poster relates to their ongoing graduate work or current work as a recent PhD. Applicants must include a copy of the abstract for the paper or poster, the name and abstract for the session in which they will be presenting, and proof of acceptance for presentation at AAA. All applicants must also submit a letter of endorsement from a present or former academic advisor at their most recent institution of study. Prize-winners will be announced at the AAA Annual Meeting and presented with a certificate of the award.

Evaluation Criteria: (1) Creativity: Is the paper or poster a unique and novel contribution to museum anthropology? (2) Commitment: Does the student demonstrate a commitment to the field of museum anthropology? (3) Impact: Does the paper or poster have the potential to develop into a work that could more broadly impact the field of museum anthropology?

A three-person prize committee of CMA members, headed by a committee chair, will be constituted by the current CMA President at the annual AAA Board of Directors meeting each year, and formally announced by January 15 annually, with the addresses of each committee member publicized.

To enter work in the 2010 competition, send one copy of the application packet by the deadline of September 1, 2010, to each of the following Student Travel Prize Committee members: Joshua Bell, (address forthcoming); Margaret Bruchac, 63 Franklin Street, Northampton, MA 01060; and Daniel Swan, (address forthcoming).

Any questions should be directed to the prize committee chair at aravea@gmail.com.

Ames Prize for Innovative Museum Anthropology

The CMA Board has created this new prize -- Check it out and pass the word!

The Michael M. Ames Prize for Innovative Museum Anthropology is awarded annually to individuals for innovative work in museum anthropology, which is understood to entail outstanding single or multi-authored books, published catalogues, temporary and permanent exhibits, repatriation projects, collaborations with descendant communities, educational or outreach projects, multimedia works, and other endeavours. Individuals can be nominated by any member of CMA, with an annual deadline of June 1. A letter of nomination and any supporting material should accompany a copy of the evidence of the work under consideration. The CMA President will appoint a prize committee of three people at the CMA Board of Directors meeting held at the AAA Annual Meeting. The prize committee will review the works and the prize-winners will be notified in advance of the annual AAA meetings so that they can consider attending. The prize winner will be announced at the AAA Annual Meeting and presented with a certificate of the award.

Nomination:

• Deadline: June 1 annually
• The nominator must be a current CMA member in good standing
• Self-nominations are allowed
• Hard copies of nomination packets and materials must be sent by the nominator to each of the three prize committee members
• Nomination packets should include a cover letter and the work under consideration (or evidence of it), as well as any supporting materials, such as letters of support, media coverage, DVDs, etc.
• Nomination packets will not be returned

Evaluation Criteria:

• Creativity: Is the project a unique and creative exploration of museum anthropology’s central themes, tensions, and histories?
• Timeliness: Does the project say something important about museum anthropology’s current predicaments and unknown future?
• Depth: In what ways does the project penetrate into the complexity of material culture and the study of it through novel methods and theories?
• Impact: Does the project have the potential to make broad and lasting impacts in museum anthropology?

Process and Rules:

• A three-person prize committee of CMA members, headed by a committee chair, will be constituted by the current CMA President at the annual AAA Board of Directors meeting each year
• The committee will be formally announced by January 15 annually, with the addresses of each committee member publicized
• All nomination materials must be received by June 1 annually, although incomplete nominations may still be considered based on the materials provided
• If no qualified nominations are made, the prize committee may elect to refrain from presenting the award for that year

For the 2010 competition, send one copy of the nomination packet to each committee member:

Chip Colwell-Chanthaphonh
Department of Anthropology
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
2001 Colorado Boulevard
Denver, CO 80205

Kimberly Christen
Washington State University
Wilson Hall 115
Pullman, WA 99164-4010

Catherine S. Fowler
1010 Foothill Road
Reno, NV 89511

Any questions should be directed to the prize committee chair at chip.c-c@dmns.org.

PEM Native American Residential Internship

The Native American Residential Internship program at the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) in Salem, Mass., offers paid internship opportunities for Native American, Native Hawaiian and Alaska Native students and early-career, in-service cultural professionals. It provides participants with a comprehensive perspective on the theory and practice of museums aimed at helping to develop skills in cultural object stewardship and museum practices. It will offer individuals the opportunity to gain expertise and will prepare them for employment positions in the museum field and/or the cultural, nonprofit sector.

Application due: March 12, 2010, by 5 pm

Darwin on St. Catherines

A really fun story about David Hurst Thomas' recent experimental work on St. Catherines Island off Georgia. His team is testing evolutionary ecology models looking at foraging and maximizing energy.

(Thomas, as no doubt many of you may know, is an esteemed curator of anthropology at the American Museum of Natural History. Many of you may not know that Thomas is now serving on Museum Anthropology's Editorial Board.)

Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology

Very cool news about the renaming of a museum and a most generous donation:

"California State University, Chico’s Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology will have a grand opening and dedication Thursday, Jan. 28, that introduces an exciting new exhibition and pays tribute to the contributions of professor emerita Valene L. Smith to the field of anthropology.

The museum officially changed its name to reflect Smith’s contributions following a vote of the CSU Board of Trustees Nov. 18, 2009. Smith has been an active supporter of the museum since its inception in 1970 and has made gifts and testamentary commitments to the museum totaling more than $4.6 million."

Nigerian Repatriation

Another interesting example of international repatriation, of objects held in France returned to Nigeria. This return could be the beginning of more, as clearly some are calling for a more systematic and complete approach to repatriation for these kinds of objects:

"In the keynote address entitled, Towards a Strategy for Curbing Illicit Trafficking and the Return of Cultural Property, which was presented by Prof. Folarin Shyllon, the scholar recommended that Nigeria should commence bilateral negotiations with the governments of the United Kingdom and the Federal Republic of Germany for the return of the Benin bronzes adding that if negotiations fails, Nigeria should seek the assistance of the international committee to facilitate her request for the return of its antique treasures in UK, Germany and other European countries."

University of Delaware's Permanent Collection

At a time when many university museums are struggling, it is exciting to read that the University of Delaware is investing in a new home for its permanent collection. What a great experience for students, and what an opportunity to exhibit new materials!

Repatriation Coordinator Position

The University of Massachusetts Amherst seeks a Repatriation Coordinator to oversee compliance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. The position is a three year 12 month lectureship in the Department of Anthropology, starting at $53,762.50. The Repatriation Coordinator directs a small part-time staff and teaches two courses a year that complement the offerings of the Anthropology Department and the Certificate Program in Native American Indian Studies.

The Repatriation Coordinator’s responsibilities include: a) Implementation of NAGPRA regulations, including the development and maintenance of inventories, summaries, notices and supporting documentation. b) Developing and maintaining relationships with Tribal representatives regarding NAGPRA sensitive collections, conducting formal consultations, establishing culturally appropriate guidelines for handling and curation of human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects and objects of cultural patrimony, and facilitating visits and transfers. c) Managing communications with National NAGPRA, the Massachusetts Commission on Indian Affairs, other institutions, and the media about this work; d) Participating in the University’s work with Amherst College and Smith College in repatriating these collections.

Requirements and Qualifications: a) Experience with formal consultation and implementation of NAGPRA, including inventory of human remains and artifact collections, cataloging, collections documentation, determinations of cultural affiliation, publishing formal Notices, with preference for experience with Culturally Unidentifiable human remains and artifact collections. b) MA required and PhD preferred (with preference for Anthropology). c) Background in North American Native history/archaeology. d) History of commitment to and working within Native communities. e) The ability to work in programs such as Excel, Access, FileMaker, and Microsoft Office suite. f) Effective communication skills and cultural sensitivity

This position will report to the Chair of the Department of Anthropology and be overseen by the Department of Anthropology’s Repatriation Committee. Send a cover letter discussing qualifications, a cv/resume, and the names of three referees to Robert Paynter, Chair, Search Committee, Department of Anthropology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003 rpaynter@anthro.umass.edu

Review of files will begin on February 17, 2010 and continue until the position is filled. Position starts September 1, 2010.