Description

The School for Advanced Research (SAR) and its Indian Arts Research Center (IARC) engage surrounding New Mexico communities and audiences worldwide on cultural diversity and Indigenous arts and culture. SAR will reinstate IARC’s collections seminar program, a public program that took place annually from 1994 through 2014. After a ten-year hiatus and increased sensitivity surrounding the uncertain provenance of its collections, SAR has refocused its program goals, which are now aimed at gaining a better understanding of IARC’s archaeology collection of roughly 250 objects and exploring opportunities for rematriation. Following a provenance research period to determine objects’ material and community origins, the archaeology seminar will bring together a group of Native and non-Native archaeologists, tribal representatives, and museum professionals over two-day meetings at the IARC. The seminar will also invite direct community engagement. Grant funds will support the archaeology seminar as part of the larger series of convenings.