$2.1 Million in Grants to Strengthen Native American, Native Hawaiian Museum Services
IMLS Funds Projects in Support of Native Heritage and Cultural Preservation

Washington, DC—The Institute of Museum and Library Services today announced 24 grants totaling $2,194,142 to support Indian tribes and organizations that primarily serve and represent Native Hawaiians.

IMLS received 29 applications through the Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services program requesting $2.7 million in funds.

“The Native American and Native Hawaiian grants IMLS announced today are excellent examples of curatorial imagination, community engagement and the preservation of tradition and heritage in some of our oldest, most resilient and also culturally deepest peoples and institutions,” said IMLS Director Crosby Kemper. “We salute the great work they are doing to make these cultural riches available.”

A list of all projects funded is available in the awarded grants search. Examples include:

• The San Carlos Apache Tribe will develop and offer programming to reintroduce traditional Apache games to tribal youth and families. Meetings and workshops conducted with Apache elders and traditional practitioners will enable program participants to make the necessary objects and instruments for the games, learn Apache vocabulary, harvest traditional plants and foods, and engage in seasonal ceremonies for wellness and renewal. The project will culminate in an “Apache Olympics,” in which all Apache tribes in Arizona and New Mexico are invited to participate, helping to revitalize and sustain traditional games that have not been played since the late 1950s.

• Three Chiefs Culture Center of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes will restore and rehouse artifacts damaged by an arson fire in 2020. The project will fund object conservation, environmental improvements, and firesafe storage for the collection. Staff will update the collections management policy, participate in database training, digitize records and collection materials, transfer video and digital media, conduct appraisals, and complete the cataloging of records. This project will enhance the Tribe’s ability to care for its collections, benefiting both Tribal and non-tribal communities.

• The Sealaska Heritage Institute will enhance digital preservation practices and expand digital storage capacity to increase access to their Indigenous archives. Staff will also establish a formal, comprehensive digital preservation management policy to support the long-term preservation of digitized and born-digital archival holdings, including their audio collection of Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian oral traditions. The project will result in increased access to archival records for research and educational purposes for Indigenous communities and the general public in Southeast Alaska and beyond.

“IMLS is honored to support Native American and Native Hawaiian communities in sustaining heritage, culture, and knowledge,” said Laura Huerta Migus, Deputy Director of Museum Services. “The opportunity to invest in the vitality of Native American and Native Hawaiian communities through this program is an important part of ensuring their place in the American story.”

More information about museum grant opportunities can be found on the IMLS website.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. Our vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.