Washington State Curation Summit

Auburn, Washington

January 12, 2004

 

 

The Washington State Curation Summit, held at the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe Administration Complex in Auburn, Washington on January 12, 2004, gathered 22 representatives from tribal nations, museums, universities, state and federal agencies and private contract firms to further discuss the future direction of curation in Washington State. This document presents a summary of the session content and dialogue.

 

 

Contents

Welcome and Agenda Overview: Laura Murphy and Steven Denton.

Curation Database & Guidelines Update: Stephenie Kramer.

Group Discussion: Curation Guidelines

Group Discussion: Curation Database/OAHP Staff Position

Action items

Attendee List

Curation Guidelines Work Group Participants

Curation Database/OAHP Staff Position Work Group Participants

 

Welcome and Agenda Overview: Laura Murphy and Steven Denton

Laura Murphy welcomed attendees to the new office and meeting facility on behalf of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe. Steven Denton then thanked everyone in attendance for their participation and provided a brief overview of the group’s history and a summary of the September 29, 2003 meeting, highlighting the 3 primary concerns identified at that meeting: lack of curation guidelines; cost of curation, both short and long-term; lack of a database with location information for all collections from systematically surveyed and excavated sites. This meeting is to formulate a plan to address curation guidelines and collection database issues.

 

Go to top

 

Curation Database & Guidelines Update: Stephenie Kramer

Stephenie Kramer reported back to the group on her research into funding a staff position to create a collections database. OAHP does not have the $100,000 required to fund a one year, full-time staff position to research collection locations and compile the database. Though outside funding is necessary, OAHP will likely be able to provide office space and a computer for the position.

 

As stated in the 9/29 meeting, OAHP is formulating new rules for archaeological permitting. However, OAHP does not have curation authority in the RCW’s, meaning that curation guidelines cannot be included in the new rules. Curation is mentioned in the WAC’s by referencing the Secretary of the Interior curation standards, but that does not provide OAHP the necessary authority to regulate curation. OAHP staff members do not believe it feasible to incorporate curation standards into the new rules, and suggest researching alternative methods to enforce the guidelines.

 

Go to top

 

Group Discussion: Curation Guidelines

Discussion focused on how best to enforce curation guidelines without a legal mandate. Stephenie Kramer stated that the current permit requirements specify that all collections be curated to Secretary of the Interior curation standards, regardless of where the collection is curated. The group felt that as each region presents differing curation requirements, Washington State specific guidelines would not be redundant. Voluntary compliance to curation guidelines was identified as best enforcement approach to take. Various ideas of how to manage voluntary compliance ensued. Nearly all agreed that the Washington Museum Association (WMA) must be brought into the dialogue to effectively reach museums and repositories affected by this issue.

 

Dialogue then turned to curation guideline content and structure. Larry Ross proposed covering issues such as public education and private collecting. Greg Burtchard stated that the guidelines must address long-term concerns (i.e. 200 years into the future), rather than focusing on short-term solutions. Associated archives must be addressed, replied Megon Noble, as they are integral to the collection. Some attendees were surprised to learn that no state museum standards, similar to those developed by the National Park Service, currently exist to guide collection preparation. The discussion was tabled until the next meeting. Steve Denton will place examples of existing guidelines on the website for comment. The curation guidelines work group will gather, collate and present comments generated by examples at the next meeting.

 

Go to top

 

Group Discussion: Curation Database/OAHP Staff Position

Discussion of this topic revolved around current and past tracking practices. Creating a mechanism to follow-up on collection placement, as well as creating a database of current collection locations were identified as important. This process may also help create a central catalog identifying appropriate repositories in Washington, alleviating contractors of the guess work now necessary.

 

Attendees identified multiple possible funding sources for a position located at OAHP. David Rice mentioned Intergovernmental loans (IPA) granted by the federal government; Larry Ross brought up the 1% funds granted by tribal casinos; Washington State Commission for the Humanities was also identified as a possible funding source. The work group will investigate the various options more thoroughly and report their findings at the next meeting

 

Go to top

 

Action items

General action items carried over from 9/29 meeting (unassigned):

  • Participation in national curation meeting by Department of Transportation
  • Prepare statement to take to next Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians meeting.
  • Contact Bambi Cross with the National THPO for spreading word among tribal museums and cultural centers.
  • Contact Gary Shalliol (Heritage Resource Commission) for aid in curation guidelines.

 

 

Assigned action items:

  • Everyone is responsible for spreading word of the group to ensure sufficient comments on the draft curation guidelines.
  • Steve Denton to post examples of curation guidelines on the website for comment.
  • Curation Guidelines work group to gather comments generated by example guidelines and present findings at next meeting
  • Collection Database work group to research funding sources for 1 year, full-time staff position to research collections and create database and present findings at next meeting.
  • Steve Denton to make presentation to Washington Museum Association Board of Directors (January 30, 2004) regarding group activities.

 

The next meeting will include presentations by the work groups on curation guidelines and collection database and address drafting the guidelines.

 

Go to top

 

Attendee List 

·         Arlene Wheeler                   Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe

·         Ben Diaz                            Mount Rainier National Park

·         Cindy Farr                          Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission

·         David Powell                      Yakama Nation

·         David Rice                          US Army Corps of Engineers - Seattle District

·         Frances Charles                  Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe

·         Gay Hunter                         Olympic National Park

·         Greg Burtchard                   Mount Rainier National Park

·         Kirstie Haertel                    National Park Service

·         Larry Ross                          Squaxin Island Tribe

·         Laura Murphy                     Muckleshoot Indian Tribe

·         Laura Phillips                      Burke Museum

·         Marie Ruby                         Seattle Public Utilities - Cedar River & Tolt Watersheds

·         Mark DeLeon                     US Bureau of Reclamation - Upper Columbia Area Office

·         Maureen Zehender              Archaeological Investigations Northwest, Inc.

·         Megon Noble                      Burke Museum

·         Paula Johnson                     Paragon Research Associates

·         Peter Lape                          Burke Museum

·         Philippe D. LeTourneau       BOAS, Inc.

·         Stephenie Kramer               Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation

·         Steve Denton                      Burke Museum

 

Go to top

 

Curation Guideline Work Group Participants

·         Point of Contact: Laura Phillips

·         Francis Charles

·         Mary Collins

·         Kirstie Haertel

·         Paula Johnson

·         Arlene Wheeler

 

Go to top

 

Curation Database/OAHP Staff Position Work Group Participants

·        Point of Contact – Peter Lape

·        Mark DeLeon

·        Stephenie Kramer

·        David Rice

·        Arlene Wheeler

 

Go to top