What are the responsibilities and job description for the Native American Collections Curator position at Minnesota Historical Society?
JOB TITLE: Native American Collections Curator
OPEN TO: This job is open to current MNHS staff.
LOCATION: History Center - 345 W Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55102
COMPENSATION: Typical starting range $62,080.00 - $77,600.00 annually
STATUS & HOURS: Full-time, regular (approximately 2,080 annual hours) position.
BENEFITS: Eligible to participate in State Employee Group Insurance Program and a retirement program with employer contribution. Generous vacation and sick time accruals with additional paid holidays.
DESIGNATION: Supervisory
POSTING DATE: January 23, 2025
DEADLINE DATE: January 30, 2025
TO APPLY: Interested applicants must apply online at the Minnesota Historical Society’s career center at www.mnhs.org/jobs and include a resume and cover letter by the application deadline date.
DESCRIPTION: This position leads the stewardship of MNHS Native American Collections. In order to develop, implement, and grow a robust strategy for access, impact, and community engagement, the curator collaborates with the director of Collections, peer curators and collections management colleagues, and colleagues across the organization, including in Native American Initiatives, as well as with Native Nations leadership and community members. A key aspect of this collaboration includes practicing sustainable, ethically-driven collecting and stewardship. The curator of Native American Collections also plays a critical role in MNHS strategy and compliance with Native American Graves and Repatriation Act of 1990 (NAGPRA) and repatriation more generally.
Working independently as well as part of a team, the Curator is responsible for collection development and review, interpretation, engagement with the collections through research, exhibition, programming, and other forms of meaningful access, including partnering with core NAI programs. The curator also leads the Native American Artist in Residence (NAAIR) Program and related efforts; and participates in ensuring effective and ethical administration of NAGPRA, repatriation, and deaccessions.
The successful candidate should have extensive knowledge of and respect for Native American history, culture, and communities, as well as experience working with objects in a cultural heritage/museum context, preferably in a curatorial capacity; experience with efforts related to NAGPRA, repatriation, and culturally sensitive collections; and a record building productive and equitable relationships with Native nations and community members. They should be an active participant in relevant professional organizations and field-wide discussions; and demonstrate commitment to and experience with fostering and maintaining equitable and respectful partnerships within and outside a large organization. This position will supervise staff colleagues.
SUMMARY OF WORK: 1) Lead the collaborative work related to Native American Collections at MNHS; 2) Support MNHS repatriation efforts and institutional compliance with NAGPRA for Collections; 3) Work with colleagues across MNHS to promote access to, engagement with, and interpretation of MNHS collections; 4) Contribute to MNHS’s commitment to sharing Minnesota history through community engagement, partnerships, and other forms of outreach; and 5) Contribute to organizational strategic priorities and initiatives through active participation in leadership, supervision, committee, and other opportunities.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
- Four years experience in a museum or library field, or equivalent.
- Program management and supervisory experience.
- Excellent communication skills across mediums and audiences.
- Successful experience in publicly representing institutional priorities, policies, and practices.
- Knowledge of and respect for Native American history and culture.
- Experience with repatriation and NAGPRA-related policies and procedures.
- Demonstrated interest in and knowledge of Minnesota history and culture.
- Experience working with 3D materials in museum/cultural heritage organization, or research context.
- Experience making accessible archival and special/museum collections through interpretation, research, programming, or other relevant means.
- Ability to develop high proficiency with relevant content management systems and databases for collections research, documentation, and analysis.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently and take individual initiative while also being able to collaborate effectively and contribute positively in a team environment.
- Demonstrated success building and maintaining equitable community relationships.
- Commitment to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment that embraces diverse viewpoints and experiences.
- Ability to provide work direction to colleagues, interns, and volunteers.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Advanced degree in Museum studies, Library and Information Studies, Native American Studies, History, Public or Art History, or related field.
- 2 years of curatorial or collections experience in a museum, library, or academic/scholarly research context.
- Demonstrated experience in project management.
- Experience leading efforts related to NAGPRA and repatriation of culturally sensitive materials, such as research, consultation, documentation, and communication.
- Record of scholarship in the field through exhibits, presentations, and/or publications.
- Active involvement in a professional association.
- Experience developing and leading grant-funded and programmatic efforts.
Should you have questions with the application process, email humanresources@mnhs.org or call MNHS Job Line at 651-259-3181.
At MNHS, we don’t just accept difference — we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on diversity for the benefit of our employees, our products and services, and our community. The Minnesota Historical Society believes that an inclusive culture among our team members is critical to our success as a historical society and museum, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. The Minnesota Historical Society is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and employer.
Salary : $62,080 - $77,600
