In April of 2017, Museum Collections Registrar John Joe (Navajo) and IAIA Archivist Ryan Flahive packed a rental van and headed to Washington D.C. to pick up a significant donation from Suzan Shown Harjo (Cheyenne/Hodulgee Muscogee), American Indian activist, lobbyist, policy maker, and 2011 recipient of an IAIA Honorary Doctorate.  After six days and 4,100 road miles, they returned with over sixty works of art and one hundred boxes of Harjo’s personal and professional archives.

This experienced panel will discuss the collecting journey, the content of the donation, the logistical challenges presented by this gift, as well as a general discussion of donor relations at IAIA. Moderated by Museum Director Patsy Phillips (Cherokee Nation).

Panelists

• Museum Curator of Collections Tatiana Lomahaftewa-Singer (Choctaw/Hopi)
• Museum Collections Registrar John Joe (Navajo)
• IAIA Archivist Ryan Flahive