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Home Up Front

The Smoki Museum is Now… Museum of Indigenous People

February 13, 2020
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by Cindy Gresser, Executive Director, Museum of Indigenous People
Over sixteen years ago, as our Native American Advisory Committee met, we formally changed the mission of the museum to: “To instill understanding and respect for the indigenous cultures of the southwest.” 
At the same time, discussions on whether to change the museum’s name was also considered. However, we had a story to tell – that of Prescott’s “Smoki People” – founders of our institution. Our advisors told us to tell that story – openly, factually, honestly, and from many different points of view, and we have. 
What the Smoki People did is now part of Prescott’s unique history, and this institution will continue to preserve their story so that future generations may learn from it. But as an institution, we are no longer about a group of Anglo citizens that sought to replicate Native ceremonies. 
Today, we view ourselves as an institution of education, where our primary responsibility is to present Native art, history and culture of the southwest from Native speakers, educators, and authorities. We do not hold a “collection” but rather care for cultural resource materials in the most respectful ways possible.
We took a lesson from the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian in Santa Fe. They started as a repository of Diné (Navajo) ceremonial items. Once the ceremonial objects had been repatriated to the Navajo People, they still had valuable resources to share and educate the public. After several iterations, a new name solidified their purpose and goals.
Development of our new name came about through a series of meetings with members of our Native Advisory Committee, Native board members, staff, community leaders, and marketing professionals. Words like “Native,” “Indigenous,” “Indian” and many more required careful and thoughtful discussion. We acknowledge our presence upon the land of the Yavapai People, and honor their culture. Our cultural resource materials are about many different cultures over a vast time period, from California to Texas and Colorado to Mexico.
Manuel Lucero IV (Cherokee), Assistant Director, said of the name change, “The new name accurately reflects who and what the museum is today and going forward into the future.” 
In museums across the country, a new buzz-word is “decolonization” — in other words, changing the voice within museums from that of the academic or outsider to that of the people represented. As staff listened to a recent presentation on the subject, we learned that as an institution, we have actively engaged in that process for well over a decade. 
However, having an institution with a made-up name, having no meaning to the people we represent, was contrary to our goals and objectives. The Board of Trustees agreed, committees were formed, and meetings held. On Dec. 12, after a unanimous board vote to approve the new name, the “Smoki Museum” sign on Gurley Street fell down in a cold winter’s wind. 
From Barb Karkula (Potawatami), Vice President, Board of Trustees, “It lifts my heart to know we are moving forward, shaking the dust of the past off our feet.”

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LOCAL NEWS: The Northern Arizona VA in Prescott has provided an update on their Homeless Veteran Program. . . .PRESCOTT, Ariz. – The Northern Arizona VA Health Care System’s Homeless Veteran Program, along with its community partners, housed 445 Veterans in 2022, exceeding their target goal by 157%.Nationally, the 2022 goal was to house 38,000 homeless Veterans— a goal that was exceeded by 6.3%. The Department of Veterans Affairs remains committed to ending Veteran homelessness and increasing housing placements is critical to achieving this goal.“This success is a result of efforts built on the evidence-based ‘Housing First’ approach, which prioritizes getting a Veteran into housing, then provides the Veteran with the support they need to stay housed,” said Steve Sample, Medical Center Director.In Northern Arizona, there are a variety of services designed to house homeless Veterans. The VA’s Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) Program includes VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) vouchers that provide formerly homeless Veterans with subsidized housing and a wraparound, interdisciplinary case management team to address issues that may have contributed to homelessness. The program provides justice outreach services, employment services, health care services through the Homeless Patient Aligned Care Team, outreach, and transitional housing support. The VA also works closely with community partners to house homeless Veterans through a system called Coordinated Entry, where community agencies along with the VA regularly meet to coordinate efforts and ensure homeless Veterans do not fall through the cracks.“We are fortunate that there is so much support for helping homeless Veterans in our area,” said Jessica Taylor, Homeless Program Coordinator for the Northern Arizona VA. “This success could not have been possible without great collaboration between our community partners, Housing Authorities, Tribal partnerships, and support from our local communities.”Looking ahead, the VA will continue to explore new avenues to house homeless Veterans and overcome housing barriers. In collaboration with U.S VETS, Gorman & Company, and the Arizona Department of Housing, a supportive housing project on the grounds of the VA’s Fort Whipple campus is in the initial planning stages. The VA is also expanding outreach to ensure that homeless Veterans are aware of services available to them. For Veterans who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness— or if you know of homeless Veterans in need of assistance, call 877-424-3838.For more information on renting to or hiring homeless Veterans, visit: www.va.gov/homelessAbout the Northern Arizona VA: Through its main campus in Prescott, along with Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) in Cottonwood, Flagstaff, Kingman, Lake Havasu City, and Anthem— with additional clinics in Tuba City, Page, Kayenta, Chinle, Holbrook, and Polacca, the Northern Arizona VA provides services to approximately 33,000 Veterans over a catchment area of more than 65,000 square miles.. . .www.facebook.com/VAPrescott ... See MoreSee Less

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Empty Bowls of Prescott Arizona has announced that it will distribute $24,000 to local foodbanks! Their 2022 Empty Bowls fundraising event took place in September, and donations can be made year round on their website.prescott-empty-bowls.square.site ... See MoreSee Less

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