Lab Hours

30 minutes: artifact research and getting familiar with the catalogs in the library.

Repatriation

"15. Notice of Intent to Repatriate a Cultural Item: Denver Museum of Nature & Sciences, Denver, CO (August 29, 2008).  In 1972 the museum paid Juan Melchoir of New Mexico’s Cochiti Pueblo $150 for a 26” x 19” x 2’ sandstone slab known as a piki stone, which dates to around 1930 and was “used by his family for several generations for baking piki bread” made of corn meal, water and ashes.  Representatives of Cochiti Pueblo maintained the piki stone “as used, and if repatriated would continue to be used, in traditional cooking ceremonies, conducted throughout the year by appointed Cochiti women, during times of traditional society events.  These events involve many culturally sensitive ceremonies in which cooking and piki bread, are of major significance to conduct the ceremony.”  In other words, the representatives viewed the piki stone as a “sacred object” under NAGPRA.  According to the notice, the “few references that could be found would suggest that such stones are ‘privately owned real property’ which can be owned, exchanged, traded, purchased, and inherited.”  While the tribe agreed “some stones are privately held, during consultation the Pueblo of Cochiti offered compelling evidence that a few special ones are communally owned and are stored in communal piki houses.  They are used by community members for specific ceremonies.”  This would make such stones both “sacred objects” and “objects of cultural patrimony.”  The museum agreed to turn the piki stone over to the Pueblo of Cochiti, New Mexico."   (American Indian Art, Vol. 34(1):95, Winter 2008).

    “Notice is hereby given under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, 43 CFR 10.10 (a)(3), of the intent to repatriate a cultural item from the Prince William Sound and Kachemak Bay Regions, AK in the possession of the University of Alaska Museum, Fairbanks, AK which meets the definition of ``unassociated funerary object'' under Section 2 of the Act. The one cultural item consists of worked bone.  In 1931, this cultural item was recovered near a burial on Cottonwood Creek, AK during excavations conducted by Frederica de Laguna of the University of Pennsylvania Museum. In 1953, this cultural item was sent to the University of Alaska Museum from the University of Pennsylvania Museum as part of an exchange collection. The human remains recovered with this cultural item have previously been repatriated from the University of Pennsylvania.” (Federal Register, Vol. 65(62): 16960-16961, 30 March 2000)

   “ Notice is here given in accordance with the Native American Graves  Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 25 U.S.C. 3005, of the intent  to repatriate a cultural item in the possession of the Bernice Pauahi  Bishop Museum, Honolulu, HI, that meets the definition of ``unassociated funerary object'' under 25 U.S.C. 3001.  In 1937, Emma Turnbull removed a cultural item in the sands of a West Molokai beach, Molokai Island, HI. The cultural item is one rock oyster pendant.  It is believed that Ms. Turnbull most likely found the pendant in an area known as Mo'omomi. In 1976, Ms.Turnbull's daughter, Mrs.J.D. Korsund, wrote to the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum requesting information on the pendant and mentioned that the pendant was found in an area that had human remains. In 1985, Ms. Turnbull sent a letter to the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum stating that she was sending the pendant as a gift to the museum and that there were many bones in the area where she picked up the pendant. In June of that same year, Ms.Turnbull signed the deed of gift for the pendant to the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum. The Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum has classified the pendant as a ``niho palaoa'' due to its similarity in shape to other Hawaiian pendants usually made from animal ivory or whale teeth.”

  “ Consultation was held with the representatives of the Hui Malama I Na Kupuna O Hawai'i Nei, Maui/Lanai Island Burial Council, Molokai Island Burial Council, Na Lei Ali'i Kawananakoa, and Royal Hawaiian Academy of Traditional Arts. Based on Ms. Turnbull's description that the pendant was found in an area with evidence of burials, it was concluded during consultation that this pendant may be classified as an unassociated funerary object.”

    Dated: July 5, 2005 (Federal Register, Vol. 70(148): 44687-44688, 3 August 2005)

Lab Hours

3 Hours: museum docent. Does this count?

Museum Jobs

1.

I have not had an official museum job.  However, I was a paid docent with the Sierra College Natural History Museum.  I think the funding came from the Science Club, but I’m not sure.  I got the position because I was a member of the Science Club, and all you had to do was be trained.  There was no interview.  I actually never led a tour inside the museum (I was trained for it), but I did lead tours on the nature trail.  This is just because there were not enough docents trained for nature trail tours, so I couldn’t switch with anyone.  I suppose this would qualify and #2:acquaintance because, at the time, the Science Club was responsible for filling the docent time slots, and then I knew museum staff through the club advisors.  When I think about it, all of the jobs I have ever had have been by acquaintance.

2.

(pulled from calmuseums.org)

Visitor Programs Manager / Seymour Marine Discovery Center, UC Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

The Visitor Programs Manager is responsible for providing daily visitor education in the exhibit hall/aquarium and public tours of marine lab facilities, natural reserve, and associated marine areas; providing extensive training, daily supervision, mentoring, and evaluation of visitor programs docents and exhibit guides who serve as the walk-in public’s primary contact in the visitor hall; planning, implementing, and assessing public lectures, ocean-themed special days, and family events; training and supervising university student employees and interns; and detailed visitor programs communications and administration for a busy, year-round operation. A key element is facilitating ongoing information exchange between marine science researchers and the public.

The overriding responsibility of the Visitor Programs Manager is to ensure the daily walk-in visiting public receives an excellent educational experience, emphasizing research in progress within the Institute of Marine Sciences at UC Santa Cruz.

-          I chose this because I like connecting the public to new information. Also, I have been to the Seymour Center, and I think they do a very good job and presenting up-to-date science in a fun and interesting way (I like it better than Monterey Bay Aq.).

·         Docent experience with science focused tours

·         Biology minor with focus on ocean sciences

·         Experience in exhibit research, design, fabrication, and installation.

 

Lab Hours

7.5 hours- finalizing exhibit in museum.  There are just a few touch-up things and we are finished.

Lab Hours

45 minutes: moving coffin case, and getting map from library, and working a bit in the museum on monday for the layout.

Found Map in Library

I finally got a chance to go look at the maps in the library today, and I found one that shows the entire area and locations that I need.  Thanks to the very helpful librarian who showed me the maps.  It's one of the big wall maps that rolls out.  I didn't know I could check those out from the campus library. Cool! We are going to take a picture of it (Nancy is), and then I will the picture to put pins in of the locations I want highlighted.