Improving Environmental Conditions to Preserve Collections

FAIN: PF-272017-20

Bishop Paiute Tribe (Bishop, CA 93514-8058)
Tara Frank (Project Director: January 2020 to present)

A planning project to improve environmental conditions for the storage and exhibit spaces of the tribe’s cultural center, which holds 4,500 archaeological and ethnographic artifacts and approximately 3,000 historical documents representing the cultural heritage and lifeways of the Paiute and Shoshone people. A team of consultants would work with the applicant to evaluate current collections policies and the climate control system, identify lighting and energy efficiencies, and establish an environmental monitoring program.

The Bishop Paiute Tribe owns and maintains the Owens Valley Paiute Shoshone Cultural Center, the only tribally owned, curated, managed, and operated museum and cultural center in the Owens Valley of CA and its environs. With this project, the Tribe will improve collection policies and procedures; access and survey environmental conditions of the facility, conduct an energy audit and explore energy efficiency for the collection climate systems; and reevaluate and determine better environmental parameters to develop better conservation plans for the Cultural Center facility and collections. These activities will preserve and revitalize unique historic and pre-historic materials that represent the culture, heritage, and history of the Owens Valley Paiute and Shoshone people.

Associated Products

Staff - Cultural Center Clerk II (Staff/Faculty/Fellow Position)
Name: Staff - Cultural Center Clerk II
Abstract: An experienced professional to assume the position as the Clerk II with the Owens Valley Paiute and Shoshone Cultural Center and Tribal Historic Preservation Office. This position is a combination of responsibilities that are both in the field of cultural resource and museum services, with a goal of caring for, managing, and preserving the tribe’s museum collections, archives, documents and resources. Under the general supervision of the Cultural Center Director, the Clerk II will help prepare documents, reports, and help with the daily operations of museum repository, collections and archival work. The Clerk II will also assist the THPO office in daily programmatic tasks and project. This position is generalized as it is grant-based and maybe adjusted to specifically fit a certain project or goal, depending on funding source.
Year: 2021

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