Practical Aspects of Consultation With Communities

In preparation for the 2004 opening of the new Mall museum of the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), the conservation department held conservation consultations with representatives of nineteen Native communities. These consultations were a practical response by the conservation department to NMAI's Mission Statement which states that we are “…committed to advancing knowledge and understanding of the Native cultures of the Western Hemisphere, past, present and future, through partnership with Native people and others…” During this experience, a number of practical techniques for hosting consultations, developing relationships, discussingtreatment strategies, recording information and carrying out treatments were developed. While there is no standard methodology for holding a consultation that can be applied in all situations, the techniques developed by NMAI conservators during this process may assist others who are developing their own consultation program.