Category: Museum Anthropology Blog

The South Dakota State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) welcomes applications for the Summer 2026 Historic Preservation Internship. This position will be based in our Pierre office and the selected candidate will assist our team with various historic preservation tasks. The intern will update and research survey material, plan and/or conduct historic site survey(s), assist in preparing a nomination for a historic property to the National Register of Historic Places, assist the office with holding a youth archaeology camp, and handle other duties as assigned.

All part-time and full-time students are encouraged to apply. Coursework in American Indian studies, Great Plains history, public history, archaeology, architecture, historic preservation theory & practices or similar research areas are desired. To learn more about the position and access the application, follow this link to the Historic Preservation homepage. The application is under “SHPO News and Deadlines”. For any questions about this position please contact me directly or our office at SHPO@state.sd.us.

OPEN DATE: September 12, 2025                    

CLOSING DATE: September 26, 2025               

POSITION TYPE: Trust Fund

APPOINTMENT TYPE:  Not to exceed 3 years
(May be further extended based on performance and availability of funds)

SCHEDULE: Full Time

DUTY LOCATION: Washington, DC 

What are Trust Fund Positions?

Trust Fund positions are unique to the Smithsonian. They are paid for from a variety of sources, including the Smithsonian endowment, revenue from our business activities, donations, grants and contracts. Trust employees are not part of the civil service, nor does trust fund employment lead to Federal status. The salary ranges for trust positions are generally the same as for federal positions and in many cases trust and federal employees work side by side. Trust employees have their own benefit program, which may include Health, Dental & Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Transit/Commuter Benefits, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, Annual and Sick Leave, Family Friendly Leave, 403b Retirement Plan, Discounts for Smithsonian Memberships, Museum Stores and Restaurants, Credit Union, Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (Child Care), Flexible Spending Account (Health & Dependent Care).

Conditions of Employment

• Pass Pre-employment Background Check and Subsequent Background Investigation for position designated.
• Complete a Probationary Period.
• Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer.
• The position is open to all candidates eligible to work in the United States.  Proof of eligibility to work in U.S. is not required to apply.
• Applicants must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

OVERVIEW

Come join a dedicated and creative team at an exceptional time for the Smithsonian, an institution with a bold vision for the future: to build a better tomorrow for all. The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex. The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) is part of the Smithsonian’s unique complex and is one of the most visited museums in the United States.  Its mission is to promote understanding of the natural world and our place in it. NMNH has a collection of 148 million specimens and artifacts. Each one reflects a moment in space and time and in these moments, we find Earth’s story.

The National Museum of Natural History is seeking an experienced candidate to fill the Archaeologist (Community Liaison), IS-0193-11 position.

This position is located in the International Repatriation/Domestic Returns Office (IRDR), Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History (NMNH). The purpose of this position is to perform repatriation-related research and associated outreach activities related to the inventory, documentation, community consultation, and repatriation of human remains, archaeological objects and ethnographic objects that do not fall under the provisions of the NMAI Act or the NMNH Repatriation Office policies as requested by appropriate authorities and make recommendations regarding the museum’s response to requests for return.

These activities follow the repatriation and return provisions of the Human Dignity Program policies. The research involves the use of archival records as well as published and unpublished archaeological, historical, ethnohistorical, and physical anthropological source materials bearing on the origin and cultural association of human remains and objects in the collection. The documentation of these collections will serve as the basis for decisions on whether to return or retain collections at the Museum. Outreach involves consultation with government representatives, descendants, descendant communities, and religious leaders concerning the identification and final disposition of items subject to repatriation or return.

The Archaeologist will work in collaboration with Department of Anthropology curatorial, collections management, and other museum staff as needed to complete documentation. The incumbent will have responsibility for conducting documentary research on archaeological, ethnological, biological, and other museum collections to recover information relevant to their cultural and historical origins and make recommendations on specific repatriation requests. Materials subject to repatriation documentation are determined by the incumbent in coordination with the Program Managers and Curator of the appropriate collections while continuing collections inventory, consultations, and specific repatriation requests. All work is performed in accordance with existing Smithsonian Institution policies, procedures, and operating instructions. Repatriation casework regularly involves the generation of new documentary information as well as the refinement of existing Museum databases.

The Archaeologist serves as a museum representative to community and governmental representatives in the consultation phase of the repatriation process.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Consultation and Outreach Services 

• Applies federal legislation and policy on repatriation and return, both domestic and international.
• Conducts consultations with governments, communities, relatives and religious leaders; may require travel.
• Discusses Smithsonian policies and procedures related to repatriation and returns.
• Engages in outreach to governments and descendant communities to support partnerships beyond repatriation scope.
• Coordinates closely with Anthropology curators, collections staff, and Smithsonian personnel to ensure comprehensive evaluation of issues.

Documentation

• Prepares documentation for decisions regarding the return of human remains and cultural objects.
• Compiles relevant database records and written reports for internal and institutional review.
• Determines historical, cultural, and archaeological context of collections materials.
• Distributes documentation to key Smithsonian offices (e.g., OGC, Government Relations, IRDR Advisory Committee) for review.

Research

• Integrates archaeological and historical data with Smithsonian and external database systems.
• Gathers and analyzes information from accession records, field notes, archives, and bibliographic sources.
• Produces research that informs repatriation recommendations and enhances museum documentation.
• Applies specialized knowledge of archaeology, history, ethnohistory, and archival research to complex repatriation cases.

Collections 

• Maintains data gathered through repatriation documentation procedures.
• Supports the design and upkeep of IRDR Office database systems and tools.
• Collaborates with Program Managers and Collections staff to ensure accurate and efficient recordkeeping.
• Ensures EMu Master Catalog updates are made to reflect repatriation activity.
• Works with staff from IRDR, Collections Management, Registration, and the National Anthropological Archives to support documentation needs.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Education and Experience:
This position has a positive education requirement.

To qualify for this position, applicants must possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university that included 3 semester hours each in the following course areas:

• History of archaeology.
• Archaeology of a major geographical area such as North America or Africa.
• Regional archaeology, archaeological cultures, or sites in a specific part or portion of a major geographical area to acquire or develop a foundation for regional specialization for professional development.
• Theory and methods of archaeology. Methods include, but are not limited to, typology, classification, sampling, cultural evolution, diffusion, dating, and analytical techniques.
• Cultural anthropology or ethnology
• AND

Six semester hours of related coursework in

• physical anthropology
• history, historiography, or historical archaeology;
•  scientific writing (nonfiction English composition); and/or
• surveying.

        And 

Archaeological field school with a laboratory component, to provide a basic understanding of theoretical and practical approaches to research design implementation, field and artifact preservation techniques, and report preparation by participation in actual field work.

Related Curriculum: degree in anthropology (with an emphasis on archaeology, ethnology, physical anthropology, history, American studies, or a related discipline may be accepted as satisfying in full the educational requirements, provided the curriculum supplied academic course work sufficiently similar to the requirements listed above (including the archaeological field school).

OR

 

1.  Combination of Education and Experience
   College-level education or training that provided knowledge equivalent to that described in A above, plus appropriate technical experience or additional education.
   OR
2.  Or Education: Three years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree

Experience required for this position is as follows:

• Extensive knowledge of archaeology methods and history within and outside of the United States as demonstrated through research and writing.
• Must have experience working directly with descendant communities on repatriation-type issues. Knowledge of repatriation and contemporary community/museum relations concerning the implementation of repatriation to date is required.
• Knowledge of the principles, methods and practices of library, archival and collections research is required. Incumbent must have ability to make sound judgments regarding research matters and information contained in accession records and archaeological field reports with minimal supervision.
• Must have extensive knowledge of archaeology methods and history in order to apply current archaeological information to the interpretation and evaluation of existing collections. Must be able to accurately evaluate and interpret the writing of other scholars.
• Must have ability to write precisely and clearly. Communication of information at various professional levels is frequently required.
• Ability to organize information and processes.
• Knowledge of EMu or similar database software to generate and maintain collection-based reports and records.
• Knowledge of basic preservation procedures and policies.

To Apply:

Resumes should include a description of your paid and non-paid work experience that is related to this job; starting and ending dates of job (month and year); and average number of hours worked per week. 

**Unofficial school transcripts (undergraduate and graduate) must be submitted with your application package by the closing date of the announcement.  If selected for the position, you must provide official transcripts before appointment.

Applicants who wish to qualify based on education completed outside the United States.  Education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed equivalent to higher education programs of U.S. Institutions by an organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. This documentation is the responsibility of the applicant and should be included as part of your application package.

Any false statement in your application may result in rejection of your application and may also result in termination after employment begins.

What To Expect Next: Once the vacancy announcement closes, a review of your resume will be compared against the qualification and experience requirements related to this job. After review of applicant resumes is complete, qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager.

Relocation expenses are not paid.

The Smithsonian Institution provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation should contact NMNHStaffing@si.edu. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. To learn more, please review the Smithsonian’s Accommodation Procedures: Individuals with Disabilities | Smithsonian Institution.

The Smithsonian Institution is an Equal Opportunity Employer. To review the Smithsonian’s EEO program, please click the following: https://www.si.edu/oeo.

More here. 

Executive Director

Institute for American Indian Studies (IAIS), Washington, CT/USA

https://www.iaismuseum.org/support/opportunities/

The Institute for American Indian Studies (IAIS), a museum and research center located in Washington, CT, seeks an Executive Director to lead the organization, providing vision and effective leadership to accomplish the mission and strategic goals of the organization and implement the initiatives approved by the Board of Trustees.  Founded in 1975 as the American Indian Archaeological Institute, IAIS preserves and educates through discovery and creativity the diverse traditions, vitality and knowledge of Native American cultures.  IAIS is not tribally affiliated; it is committed to honoring and celebrating vibrant Indigenous lifeways of the Eastern Woodland tribes with exhibits tracing more than 12,000 years of their history.  The Executive Director is the face of the Institute in the community, region and state and among our Indigenous colleagues and constituents as well as our donors, members, and supporters.

Position Responsibilities:

• In partnership with the Board of Trustees, meet aggressive annual fundraising goals; secure financial support from foundations, corporations, individual donors, government agencies and other funding sources.
• Manage strategic and operational planning, including all financial and accounting activity, to ensure the financial health of IAIS.
• Ensure proper security and care of IAIS collections, adhering to best practices as established by museum professionals and organizations.
• Manage all IAIS programs and activities to achieve and maintain financial sustainability.
• Build respect and brand recognition for the Institute among its Indigenous constituency as well as among non-Indigenous constituencies.
• Lead staff in maintaining a climate of excellence, accountability and respect.
• Collaborate and communicate with the Board of Trustees and the staff to develop strategies for achieving mission goals and financial viability.

Required knowledge, skills and abilities:

• Demonstrated ability to manage non-profit entities to the highest standards of excellence in museum administration.
• Demonstrated  leadership skills in the areas of fundraising, membership growth, program development and public relations.
• Sound knowledge of financial statements and the capability of financial management systems.
• Proficiency in public relations and public speaking.  Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Strong information technology literacy skills.
• Highly developed interpersonal relations skills.  Demonstrated ability to respond to and work effectively and collegially with multiple constituencies on a local, regional and statewide level.
• Extensive knowledge of Native American culture and history.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in an appropriately related field
• Minimum of five years directly related experience managing a non-profit educational institution, or, a combination of education, training and experience which would lead to the competencies required for successful performance of the position’s essential functions.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 3 years direct experience in fund development or large donor fundraising.
• Master’s Degree in Museum Studies, Public History, Anthropology, or Archaeology with a focus on Native American cultures.

Contact Information

Submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of relevant accomplishments to interim_director@iaismuseum.org.  Include salary expectations in your cover letter.  Please send questions or general inquiries to the same email address.

For the detailed Job Description, visit the website: https://www.iaismuseum.org/support/opportunities

Closing Date: October 10, 2025

Contact Email: interim_director@iaismuseum.org

The Council for Museum Anthropology’s Strategic Planning Committee is pleased to launch our 2025 membership survey.

Asking questions around CMA’s journal, conferences, and mentorship opportunities, your feedback will help shape CMA’s priorities and help our Board better serve past, present, and future members like you.

The survey will close on September 30, 2025. Please take a few minutes to respond. We greatly appreciate your help and participation.

Timely Response to Critical Need: A Review of the Intensive NAGPRA Summer Training & Education Program

By Nina M. Schreiner, PhD, RPA and Macie L. Orrand, MA

Compliance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) is a cornerstone of twenty-first-century museum practice. Yet, most collections stewards learn NAGPRA practice on the job rather than through formal instruction in the legal and relational aspects of repatriation. This problem was exacerbated by the 2023 Final Rule, which streamlined existing regulations and added new requirements. Now, even experienced NAGPRA practitioners are relearning the fundamentals of compliance.

Enter the Intensive NAGPRA Summer Training & Education Program (INSTEP) hosted by Dr. Jayne-Leigh Thomas of Indiana University (IU) and Krystiana Krupa of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (UI). Over the course of two years, the pilot project, funded by a Wenner-Gren Global Initiatives Grant, has trained nearly 100 professionals representing Tribes, federal and state agencies, universities, and museums. The one-week, cost-free program deepens participants’ knowledge of NAGPRA documentation, core concepts like cultural affiliation, cultural sensitivity and intergenerational trauma, and consultation and collaboration between Tribes and institutions. Daily presentations foreground the perspectives of Indigenous scholars and Tribal representatives in the repatriation process.

As non-Indigenous women employed by state institutions, we valued INSTEP as a safe space to pose questions, interact with colleagues from diverse sector standpoints, and confront the ongoing settler colonial geopolitics that we navigate in government-to-government consultation. In group discussions about anthropology and colonialism–specifically the relationship between removal policies and subsequent looting that generated many museum holdings–we drew on our working experiences at state curation facilities that house thousands of legacy collections.

Nina: I was grateful to find a place in the inaugural 2023 INSTEP class. Just two months prior, I finished my fourth year in the Anthropology PhD program at the University of South Carolina and became the full time NAGPRA Coordinator at the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology, a hybrid state agency and academic unit at USC. I came to USC to learn decolonizing methodologies for stewardship of archaeological legacy collections. What I found was an institution that, like many others in the Southeast U.S., had never employed a NAGPRA specialist. I hoped that INSTEP would impart concrete strategies for working with Tribal governments and cultivating institutional will.

While the program exceeded expectations in terms of content, I was most impacted by the inclusive environment in Bloomington. Contrary to the scientist personas we are taught to assume in archaeological collections management, INSTEP humanized both attendees and the Ancestral individuals housed at our institutions. The kind staff of IU’s First Nations Educational & Cultural Center welcomed us with shared meals, for example, and Dr. Jenny Davis (Chickasaw, Associate Professor, IU Dept of Anthropology) challenged us to think differently about language. Rather than preserve collections with unknown provenance, we care for cultural belongings created by artists once known.

Learning communities are especially important for NAGPRA practitioners, like Macie and I, who are singularly responsible for compliance at home institutions. I left INSTEP with enhanced knowledge of compliance protocols formed in solidarity with an allied network.

Macie: As the first Curation and NAGPRA Care specialist in my organization, I am faced with the complexities of over fifty years of legacy collections. These challenges include improper curation methods, inadequate documentation, and hazardous conditions, all of which contribute to a persistent “legacy culture.” In addressing these issues, I am also focused on improving our policies and procedures for implementing NAGPRA and understanding the amended regulations.

I was fortunate to participate in the 2024 INSTEP program, an experience that significantly deepened my knowledge of NAGPRA and repatriation. The program empowered NAGPRA practitioners, Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, and institutions and agencies across the United States, and emphasized the collaborative nature of our work. INSTEP fostered a transformative environment, creating a sense of community among both Native and non-Native participants united by a common cause.

I cherished the chance to learn from peer practitioners who “speak the same language” and share similar experiences. However, the most impactful moments came from listening to Tribal partners who provided crucial cultural context and emphasized the importance of our work. Many of them have years of experience in NAGPRA compliance and shared invaluable lessons and insights about the evolution of its implementation.

INSTEP instructors created a safe space where we could grow together, tackling challenges and enhancing our advocacy efforts. We didn’t just aim to meet legal requirements; we sought to engage meaningfully in this work. This collective journey deepened our understanding and strengthened our connections, reminding us of the importance of approaching our responsibilities with care and intention.

INSTEP is a timely response to a critical need. It addresses the pressing NAGPRA training shortage that, in lieu of widespread curricular change in museum studies and anthropology, will shape practice for the foreseeable future. The organizers have announced their intention to continue the program regardless of whether further grant funds are forthcoming. We hope they find support in our professional community for years to come so that emerging professionals can continue to benefit from this training. As we navigate the new NAGPRA world together, we learn lessons every day that guide us to the safe and expeditious return of all Indigenous Ancestors, belongings, and cultural items.

To hear more from INSTEP coordinator Jayne-Leigh Thomas and 2023 attendee Chance Ward, check out this Heritage Voices podcast.

Two part-time remote curatorial internships at the NMAAHC: Sports and Race Initiative Curatorial Internship and Black Jewelers Research and Storytelling Curatorial Internship

Sports and Race Initiative Curatorial Internship

Part-Time Remote Internship

$425/week

January 19 – March 27, 2026

Desired Majors and Areas of Study: History, African American Studies, Museum Studies, Anthropology, Sociology, and Sports Studies

The Office of Curatorial Affairs (OCA), including the Centers, facilitates the intellectual work of the Museum by collecting artifacts, ensuring collection preservation and stewardship, conducting research and scholarship, and sharing the rich history and culture of African Americans and all people of African descent with a diverse public in accessible, multifaceted ways including exhibition, digitization, and publication.

The Culture division of OCA documents, collects and preserves information and materials related to the cultural heritage of African Americans and other select groups, whose actions have influenced and/or contributed to the African American experience, including those associated with the African Diaspora. Specific areas of focus include: sports, music, the performing arts, oral history, literary arts, dress and textiles, decorative arts, foodways and folklife in their many diverse forms.

The Sports and Race Initiative (SRI) was created because the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) recognizes that sports provide a unique entry point into the African American experience. Given the centrality of sports to American life, the influence of athletes, and the ability of sports to bring together cross sections of individuals, regardless of race, gender, and socio-cultural backgrounds, sports bridge barriers that are frequently difficult to navigate. As the nation continues to struggle with how to deal with the legacies of race, gender and sexual inclusivity, and continuing inequality; sports, perhaps more than any other institution has been a public space that has facilitated national discussions about equality, opportunity, and access to the American Dream.

The Sports and Race Initiative Curatorial Intern for the Sports and Race Initiative will assist the Supervisory Curator of Sports and other members of the Sports and Race Initiative team with exhibition-related tasks including object acquisition, and program-related activities. They will conduct research and work on a variety of projects involving the permanent collection, and sports-related programming. This internship is principally designed to help interns engage one of the most important aspects of curatorial work: collecting objects. Some projects will overlap with other departments, enabling interns to gain broad exposure to other areas of museum operations. The intern will develop their professional communication skills and learn about how historical research is conducted, and how public history is differentiated.

Duties Include (but are not limited to):

• Supporting the acquisition, cataloguing, interpretation, and exhibition of objects and artifacts
• Developing, implementing, and evaluating sports-related programs and projects for the SRI
• Performing a variety of duties related to the delivery of sports-related programming by NMAAHC including drafting documents with specified formats and reviewing materials
• Working in support of writing and media projects for scholarly and public audiences
• Providing historical and cultural research for objects, graphics, photographs, audio and visual media, and/or other contextual material to support the sports-related content for the Museum’s collection and exhibitions using current scholarship, archival resources, genealogical resources, and oral history
• Assist the Supervisory Curator of Sports with object acquisitions

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Black Jewelers Research and Storytelling Curatorial Internship

Part-Time Remote Internship

$425/week

January 19 – April 10, 2026

Desired Majors and Areas of Study: History, African American Studies, Decorative Arts, American Studies, Visual Art, Literature, Anthropology

The National Museum of African American History and Culture’s (NMAAHC) Office of Curatorial Affairs (OCA) facilitates the intellectual work of the Museum by collecting artifacts, ensuring collection preservation and stewardship, conducting research and scholarship, and sharing the rich history and culture of African Americans and all people of African descent with a diverse public in accessible, multifaceted ways including exhibition, digitization, and publication.

This internship offers an opportunity to explore the legacy and artistry of Black jewelers, past and present. Interns will contribute to the NMAAHC’s efforts to document and share the stories of Black jewelers represented in the museum’s collection and beyond. Through research, transcription, and digital storytelling, interns will help illuminate the cultural significance and creative contributions of these artists. Interns will work closely with one of the museum’s Culture Curators and the Black Jewelry Research Initiative curatorial team to develop research profiles, transcribe oral histories, and craft a compelling online narrative. This internship is ideal for students interested in African American history, material culture, decorative arts, or digital humanities. This internship equips participants with essential museum skills while also developing highly transferable abilities like analytical thinking, clear communication, cultural competency, and project management. These competencies are valuable not only in curatorial and archival work but also across industries such as journalism, marketing, and other careers. By the end of the internship, interns will have learned to:

• Identify and describe at least 6 individual Black jewelers, including biographical and artistic details.

• Interview and transcribe oral history interviews with Black jewelers using museum standards.

• Write a publishable online story that synthesizes research findings and highlights jewelers in the museum’s collection.

Articulate the importance of documenting Black jewelers within the broader context of African American cultural heritage.

Undergraduate students as eligible by program requirements preferred. Applicants should include a research paper for evaluation of your current writing and research skills with required application materials.

Duties Include (but are not limited to):

• Conduct archival and online research on Black jewelers.
• Create individual profiles and summaries of jewelers.
• Transcribe oral history interviews.
• Draft and revise an online story that may be used on the museum’s website.
• Participate in regular virtual check-ins and feedback sessions.
• Collaborate with museum staff across departments as needed.

More here. 

Applications due: October 1, 2025 

2025 Ivan Karp Workshop in Museum Anthropology: Cultivating Transparency and Reciprocity across Transnational Professional Contexts

Date: November 19, 2025, noon-6:30pm

Location: New Orleans Museum of Art, in conjunction with the American Anthropological Association Meetings

Mentors: Amanda Maples (Françoise Billion Richardson Curator of African Art, New Orleans Museum of Art), Orlando Hernandez Ying (Lapis Curator of the Arts of the Americas), Elysia Poon (Director, Indian Arts Research Center at the School for Advanced Research, Santa Fe)

Description: The Council for Museum Anthropology’s Ivan Karp Workshop invites applications from students and early career anthropologists, practitioners, and scholars interested in the methodologies of researching and curating collections with transparency and reciprocity, and centering multivocal epistemologies.

Working with museum scholar-practitioners whose careers have sought to bring these values to projects across domains–doing research, developing and implementing policy, and curating and creating exhibitions, this two-part workshop offers insight into both how to develop such values, skills, and knowledge across projects and how career trajectories may unfold in ways that can enhance and/or challenge those values, skills, and knowledge, as well as expectations.

More here.