SI-ASB-2009: Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian Archives


Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian Archives 4220 Silver Hill Road, Suitland, MD 20746-2863 nmai.si.edu	Projects 5
The National Museum of the American Indian Archives support the mission of the Museum to collect, organize, preserve and make available papers, records, images, recordings, and ephemera that accurately reflect the historical and contemporary lives of Native peoples throughout the Western Hemisphere, specifically regarding Native art, culture, knowledge, politics, events, and social movements and developments. The collections also complement the Museum's artifacts and are used for scholarly research, exhibitions, journalism, documentary productions, and other research and educational activities. The Archives provides reference, research, and services to Native Americans, publishers, scholars, museum staff, and the general public. Below are descriptions of our major collections.
Photos and Comments

I processed, rehoused, and foldered materials from two collections. I liked working with the staff; the work was fairly interesting and I learned several new things; I enjoyed being able to have some "behind the scenes" tours at the museum; I enjoyed working with a group of four other SI students. I was interested in working in a museum setting; I thought this sounded interesting because of some of the skills we were going to learn. It reinforced my interest in archives and museum work.

I thought my supervisor did a good job of teaching us things and helping us understand more about archiving and museums. All of the department staff were very friendly and helpful.

Projects

Living Voices? Recordings

Intern: Marc Levitt

Code: SINMAIA-03

Interns
1

NMAI holds a collection of audio recordings and documentation from an oral history project entitled Living Voices. The intern will assist the media archivist in inventorying this collection for access and preservation needs.

Unmatched Projects

Inaugural Exhibition Audio Visual Material

Code: SINMAIA-01

Interns
1

Significant audio visual material was compiled during the NMAI inaugural exhibit opening in 2004. The intern will assist the media archivist in inventorying the material and prepare for eventual disposition in accordance with Smithsonian Institution Archives record retention schedules.

Museum Event Photos Database

Code: SINMAIA-02

Interns
1

The NMAI takes thousands of images each year for events held at the museum. These images are then stored in a Digital Asset Management System and stored on optical media. The intern will assist the Photo Archive Technician in managing metadata for these photos and merging older information into one database.

Museum Delegation Photos

Code: SINMAIA-04

Interns
1

When the NMAI first opened in 2004 it hosted various delegations and took photos of each group. The intern will research these photographs and the various individuals included to input correct metadata (ie. names tribal affiliation etc.) into NMAI's database of museum event photos.

Official NMAI Records

Code: SINMAIA-05

Interns
1

The intern will assist in the disposition of administrative records of the NMAI in accordance with the Smithsonian Institution Archives record retention schedules. The intern will conduct inventories and prepare folder lists for the future transfer of these records to SIA. Under the supervision of the archivist the archival intern will gain valuable experience in arrangement and description basic preservation and reference services and records management.

The SI Alternative Spring Break is open to graduate students of the University of Michigan's School of Information. Undergraduates looking for Alternative Spring Break opportunities should look into the University of Michigan Alternative Spring Break program administered by U-M's Ginsberg Center.