LTBB Archives Historic Records Preservation

FAIN: PG-271387-20

Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians (Harbor Springs, MI 49740-9692)
Eric Hemenway (Project Director: December 2019 to January 2023)

The purchase of preservation supplies to rehouse two archival collections, and the development of a long-term plan for rehousing the remainder of the tribe’s collections. The Archives Department cares for nine collections consisting of 160,000 documents, 3,000 images, and 250 artifacts that document the history and culture of the Odawa Indians. The research archive of ethnohistorian James McClurken and the Shawnibin collection, containing personal correspondence and photographs from the late-nineteenth through mid-twentieth centuries, would be prioritized for this project. The archives are used for education and outreach, exhibits, and research.

The LTBB Archives Department (Archives) maintains collections that critical resources for public uses including articles, presentations and exhibits. LTBB was awarded an FY 2016 Preservation Assistance Grant that provided funds to hire a consultant to review our archives, develop a long-range preservation plan and develop a moving/rehousing plan. The result of this project, an assessment report, will guide the next phase of preservation effort. The goal of this project is to improve long-term sustainability of the historic and archival materials within the Archives for the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians. By the end of the 18-month project period, Archives will have adequate preservation supplies to rehouse two significant collections in acid-free materials that will provide more safe and secure storage and an updated plan for the quantity of additional materials needed to preserve the remainder of the current collections.