CULTURAL SENSITIVITY + AWARENESS TRAINING

smom csa 6 smom art project
Background + Description
Deliverables
Training Resources
Projects

BACKGROUND AND DESCRIPTION

Museums with collections that represent diverse communities are increasingly faced with issues of cultural sensitivity and a need for direction to both fill the void of information relating to these collections as well as connecting those collections with descendent communities in a meaningful way. Consultation with origin communities is a complex and daunting task, and even when willing, oftentimes museums are intimidated by the process of initiating and facilitating these conversations. This three-part training is intended to educate museum staff and volunteers across departments to alleviate fears and misconceptions surrounding cultural collections, provide a venue for discussing the legal and ethical responsibilities of caring for and interpreting such collections and assisting museum staff in making contact with origin communities. In addition to on-site visits, Live Oak will provide support and ongoing guidance through the process of collaborating with Native American community representatives for the purpose of engaging museum collections in a meaningful dialogue with visitors and for the development of true partnerships with Native collaborators.

DELIVERABLES

Museum wide training: provides language, skills and background for all departments to conduct business more efficiently and effectively and assists museum to more meaningfully engage with origin communities
Executive staff and board members: gain confidence about discussing and implementing legal and ethical responsibilities associated with the collection
Development: learn appropriate and powerful language for grant writing and fundraising, including Tribes as a possible partner
Education staff and docents: feel confident to interpret collection to the public, have skills to outreach to origin communities for public programs, engage with collection in ways that are responsive and relevant to today’s issues
Collections staff: gain confidence and culturally appropriate knowledge for the care, conservation, and documentation of the Native collection, providing a foundation for consultation, research and continued collecting
Interpretive planning team: feels confident to outreach to Native community liaisons for ongoing collaboration
Communications team: learns new media outlets and the language for messaging and feels confident with cohesive public outreach strategy around decolonizing initiatives
Museum wide tools for working with Native collections and descendent communities aligns facility with National standards of excellence