Building Bridges and Detailed Conservation Survey

From 2020 through 2024, Avenir Conservation Center conservators and Anthropology staff worked on an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grant entitled Northwest Coast Collection: Building Bridges and Detailed Conservation Survey. The project involved collaborating with originating and descendant Indigenous communities from five Northwest Coast groups – Makah, Nuu-chah-nulth, Kwakwaka’wakw, Haida, and Tlingit – to determine culturally appropriate care and conservation for over 500 items from the Museum’s Northwest Coast Collection. These Indigenous communities are traditional inhabitants of present-day Washington State north through coastal British Columbia and Southern Alaska. Collaboration was key to better understanding the collection items and planning for long-term care of these items. Collaboration primarily took place through nine week-long visits with a total of over 20 community representatives. 

Reflections with Cultural Knowledge Keepers

Collaborative Conservation Grant Wraps up this Summer

This grant (MA-245839-OMS-20 was funded by the by the Institute of Museum and Library Services with additional support from the Avenir Conservation Center.