On April 25 and 26, 2024 Kawerak’s Social Science Program hosted a hybrid workshop with nine Bering Strait region knowledge holders regarding collections of cultural heritage items that were sourced from the Bering Strait Region. The items are in various collections across the country, including the Hood Museum at Dartmouth College (New Hampshire), the Milwaukee Public Museum (Wisconsin), and the University of Missouri Museum of Anthropology.
The intent of the workshop was to ensure Tribes have a chance to access pieces that originate from our region, and have more control of the data surrounding these items.
Rose Fosdick, Harold Muktoyuk, Dolly Kugzruk, Ruth Ojanen, Leora Kenick, Sam Mokiyuk, Charla Koozaata, Grace Minix, and Linda Gologergen are partners to this project and participated in the hybrid workshop. While gathering in person and on Zoom, participants examined several pieces as presented by the Hood museum, the Milwaukee Public Museum, and the University of Missouri Museum of Anthropology staff persons. as the knowledge holders viewed the items they shared stories, and offered what they knew about the pieces.
As the project progresses, along with providing guidance and knowledge about the museum collection pieces, knowledge holders will assist in the creation of guidelines and policies regarding how the data from the pieces are used. In collaboration with the museums, Kawerak and the Tribes will make sure the pieces from our region are scanned with 3D technology and the data from those scans are housed in our region. The 3D scanning and ownership of that data is one way that Kawerak will advance the rights of Tribal data governance over the museum items. The hope is to forge agreements with museums to create policies that will take into account the wishes of the Tribes in our region, and work toward repatriation of some items.
Another aim of this project is to protect the pieces from illegal scans. Three-dimensional scanning of museum pieces is an emerging issue. In some cases, people are illegally scanning museum items in exhibits and recreating them without permission. The project will work to create protections from this kind of misuse. Dr. Medeia Csoba-DeHass of the University of Missouri originally proposed this project to Kawerak some years ago. Seeing the potential benefits of the proposed project, Kawerak’s Social Science Department decided to partner on the project.
The project will continue through 2026 with Kawerak’s Social Science Program, and we are looking forward to learning more from our knowledge holders and meeting again in June!
