Collections and Registration NAGPRA Internship
Collections and Registration NAGPRA Intern
Missouri Historical Society
St. Louis, MO
Please upload cover letter and resume when applying.
*External job boards: Please click this link (https://mohistoricalintern.aaimtrack.com/jobs/) to apply.
COMMITMENT TO RACIAL EQUITY
The Missouri Historical Society commits to a process of listening attentively to one another and leveraging best practices and resources across our organization to promote a culture of inclusion where individuals from all racial and ethnic identities; ages; nationalities; social and economic statuses; sexual orientations; gender identities/expressions; religious, political, and ideological perspectives; and abilities are able to be engaged, feel valued, and thrive. Click here for the full Commitment to Racial Equity.
The Missouri Historical Society is accepting applications from students or recent graduates who are interested in a career in archaeology and museum collections, specifically NAGPRA programs and repatriation, for a paid internship with the Collections and Registration departments. This internship position reports to the Collections Manager and works closely with the Registrar.
The Collections and Registration NAGPRA intern will work jointly with the Collections Management and Registration departments to gain knowledge and skills in artifact handling, cataloging, research, deaccessioning, and reconciling found-in-collection items. They will also collaborate with curators, librarians, archivists, and other departments at the Library & Research Center. The focus of the internship will be targeting collections that fall under NAGPRA and will be slated for future consultation and repatriation. The intern will be researching, photographing, and documenting collections to provide information to interested tribal partners.
Schedule
This internship will require 20 hours per week between Monday and Friday for a total period of 16 weeks or 1 semester. As this project involves working hands-on with historical artifacts, this internship will be 100% onsite at the Library & Research Center. The final schedule is flexible and will be determined with the supervisor.
The intern's responsibilities will include (but not be limited to):
- Research archaeological digs from the 1800s and document sites and known discoveries of burials
- Identify museum objects and document those objects in the collections management database
- Research accession records to reconcile objects found-in-collections with their original donations
- Photograph collections for tribal consultations
- Assist with other facets of the NAGPRA program as assigned
Intern Qualifications
- Graduate student or recent graduate majoring in history, archaeology, museum studies, or a related field
- Interest in collections and registration in a museum setting, NAGPRA laws, and repatriation
- Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Strong interpersonal skills in collaborating with other departments
- Experience in historical research and writing, experience utilizing historical documents preferred, and knowledge of stone tools and archaeological implements
- Ability to lift up to 50 pounds
Learning Objectives
- Understanding of best practices in artifact handling
- Professional hands-on training and experience in the field of collections and registration in a museum setting
- Experience working with museum collections management software, specifically MimsyXG
- Familiarity with using a variety of research methods and historical documents to record the history of museum objects
- Familiarity with NAGPRA and stages of repatriation
The applicant must provide a résumé and a short statement of interest and/or intent in applying for the internship. For unpaid internships, an unofficial college or university transcript must also be uploaded with the application. For questions, please contact Kat Bourek at kbourek@mohistory.org.
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