Collaborations between Tribal and Non-Tribal Organizations: Sharing Expertise, Knowledge, and Cultural Resources ~ A Research Study

Collaborations between tribal and non-tribal organizations bring diverse communities together, often for the first time, to educate and learn, to address misinterpretations of the past, and to share cultural resources and knowledge. Through an examination of data obtained through a national survey, this session will introduce a variety of collaborative practices and investigate how successful partnerships are initiated, developed, and maintained; the degree to which the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials are referenced in the development of policies and procedures; and "lessons learned" across a wide-range of collaborative projects and partnerships. This overview of a variety of models of collaboration is intended to offer a set of best practices for both tribal and non-tribal organizations interested in sharing useful skills, knowledge, and resources through partnerships. We presented our research findings, followed by a panel discussion featuring participants from several successful collaborative projects explored in the research data.Co-presenter: Elizabeth Joffrion, Director of Heritage Resources, Western Washington University. Panelists included: Jennifer O'Neal, Corrigan Solari University Historian and Archivist, University of Oregon; Daryl Baldwin, Director, Myaamia Center at Miami University; Megan Dorey, Archivist, Myaamia Heritage Museum; Omar Polar, Outreach Coordinator, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Library and Information StudiesPresentation as part of the session "Collaborations between Tribal and Non-Tribal Organizations: Sharing Expertise, Knowledge, and Cultural Resources" at the 2015 International Conference of Indigenous Archives, Libraries, and Museums conference hosted by the Association for Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums in Washington DC, September 11, 2015