Native American Voices Initiative

FAIN: ZPP-284087-22

University of Utah (Salt Lake City, UT 84112-9049)
Alexandra Greenwald (Project Director: May 2021 to present)

The reinterpretation of current ethnographic collections and exhibits at the University of Utah to reflect Native American experiences and the creation of a digital repository to share and store ethnographic data and oral histories, retaining and creating 36 positions.

Led by the Natural History Museum of Utah (NHMU), the Native American Voices Initiative will preserve, amplify, and celebrate the stories of Utah’s indigenous communities to help build a more just and inclusive society. The past year brought many significant challenges to Native American communities throughout Utah and to NHMU. The tragic loss of life of Native American elders, in particular, has highlighted the urgent need to preserve traditional knowledge and indigenous languages. NHMU will collaborate with Native communities to document indigenous knowledge in the Museum’s ethnographic collections and deliver community-centered exhibitions, education, and programming. Through deep and trusted relationships with Utah tribes—and in partnership with the Tanner Humanities Center—NHMU will use its platform as a public-facing museum to amplify under-represented voices, showcase diverse perspectives, and preserve new knowledge about artifacts, history, and culture.