BIHM First Peoples Exhibitpage 1 of 56 BIHM First Peoples Exhibitpage 2 of 56

BIHM First Peoples ExhibitPage 1 of 56 BIHM First Peoples ExhibitPage 2 of 56 2018-2019 Cultural Funding Proposal: Bainbridge Island Historical Museum: First Peoples Exhibit Our Organization 1. Mission Statement The mission of the Bainbridge Island Historical Museum (BIHM) is to collect, preserve, and foster knowledge of Bainbridge Island History 2. History and Expertise The Bainbridge Island Historical Society began informally on the island in the 1930’s and established itself in 1948 as a unit of the Kitsap County Historical Society. In 1971, BIHM acquired the Island Center Schoolhouse, which was relocated to Strawberry Hill Park and refitted to house the Society’s collections. In 1978 the Museum severed ties with the larger Kitsap Historical Society and became a distinct entity operating under its own set of by-laws, gaining non-profit 501(c)(3) status in 1988. In 2000, the City Council gave the Museum an option to move to its present location on Ericksen Avenue. A long-term lease was signed, and the move was completed in 2004. The Museum’s active membership has grown from 232 in 1988 to its present level of 858. The Museum is open year-round every day of the week. Volunteer docents present a variety of exhibits to local, national and international visitors. Our teacher docents (many of whom are trained educators) participate in educational outreach programs in the museum and at schools throughout the region. Our staff members help educators, writers and historical researchers locate and interpret historical source material using our collection of artifacts, digital images, books and maps. In line with federal regulations for certified local governments, we provide a Museum representative to serve on the COBI Historic Preservation Commission (HPC). We act as a repository for HPC records and we maintain a set of US Department of the Interior Guidelines for Historic Structures. As part of our regular activities we organize a series of guided, interpretive walks to places of outstanding local historic significance (Yama, the Agate Point petroglyph, Fort Ward, Blakely Cemetery, Suyematsu Farm, etc.), and we design our fundraising events to contain a significant educational and cultural component (for example, our annual cruise aboard a ‘Mosquito Fleet’ steamer, the Clay Jenkinson talks, or our new ‘History on the Move’ event). In the last 10 years we have won a total of 13 state, regional, and national-level awards for our publications, exhibits and events, plus two Washington Museum Association “Awards of Individual Excellence” for Executive Director Hank Helm and Curator Rick Chandler. About Our Request 1) Proposal Description and Purpose a. Succinctly describe the project or activities you are proposing. Include a brief timeline of major milestones during the period of the proposal, including date(s), time(s) and location(s), if appropriate. The primary objective for this proposal is to update and expand the existing BIHM “First Peoples” exhibit, in collaboration with the Suquamish Tribe, the Bainbridge Island School District (BISD), other area cultural BIHM First Peoples ExhibitPage 3 of 56 organizations, and members of our community. The updated exhibit will include support materials and lesson plans created in collaboration with Suquamish educators, Suquamish Museum staff, and representatives from the BISD. Another component of updating the exhibit is convening a series of conversations, at the BIHM and locations in Suquamish, where our project collaborators will evaluate our current exhibit, discuss how it can best represent the Suquamish Tribe, and how it can best serve the students and teachers in the BISD. BIHM staff and dedicated volunteers are developing relationships and resources which strengthen our capacity to continue our role as a primary facilitator among area stakeholders in the implementation of the tribal sovereignty curriculum in the BISD. The timeline for updating and expanding our “First Peoples” exhibit has already begun with the initial inventory of the artifacts currently on display, artifacts in the collection, and information in our research library. The exhibit critiques and conversations are expected to begin in winter of 2017 and run through spring 2018. The research and development phase of the project with the Suquamish curator is expected to run from spring 2018 through summer 2018. Implementation of the updated exhibit will be accomplished in fall 2018, concurrent with the formal launch of the tribal sovereignty curriculum in the BISD. An opening event will celebrate our updated exhibit, and provide opportunities for our project partners to continue cultivating their connections. Support materials and lesson plans will be developed in fall 2018 – summer 2019, for use in the museum as well as in the classroom to prepare for and follow up after students’ field trips. In 2019, we will also convene a series of conversations with museum and community members, Suquamish tribal members, and BIHM staff to discuss how Suquamish history and culture can be integrated into other existing BIHM exhibits and programming. b. What are your primary goals and objectives for your project or your organization as a whole (if requesting general operating support)? The overarching goal of this project is to present an exhibit which more accurately represents the first people who lived and continue to live here. All visitors to this museum should have the opportunity to see Suquamish people as part of Bainbridge Island’s history in a way that connects the past and present, understand the wealth and abundance of Suquamish culture, and celebrate their ongoing presence here for thousands of years. This updated “First Peoples” exhibit is part of a larger program designed to support the BISD as they comply with the 2015 Washington State legislation that requires public schools to teach about tribal sovereignty in collaboration with local Indigenous people. This project will ensure the BIHM can provide more relevant, truthful, and nuanced interpretations of Suquamish history and contemporary culture. We anticipate our updated exhibit and accompanying support materials for teachers and students will inspire similar work at cultural institutions through the Suquamish Usual and Accustomed Territories (UAT), as the curriculum is implemented in regional public school districts. c. Who is involved in the project or activities and why? List key participants or partners. Suquamish tribal members Suquamish cultural educators Representatives from the Suquamish Museum, the Suquamish School District, and Chief Kitsap Academy BISD teachers and administrators BISD Multicultural Council Representatives from Bainbridge Island cultural organizations such as the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, Bainbridge Island Arts and Humanities, the Kids Discovery Museum, Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation BIHM First Peoples ExhibitPage 4 of 56 District, and the Bainbridge Public Library Area community members 2) Alignment with Cultural and/or Economic Elements a. Describe how the proposed project or activities will “contribute to the economic vitality, community character, livability, and quality of life of Bainbridge Island” and specifically, how it addresses one or more community objectives identified within the Cultural Element and/or Economic Element of the Comprehensive Plan. The update of our First Peoples exhibit will contribute to the community character, livability, and quality of life of Bainbridge Island by honoring the perspectives and stories of the original inhabitants of our City. By producing an exhibit that is reflective of Suquamish perspectives and values, and realized by a Suquamish curator, we can provide cultural experiences that are still relatively unique in the USA. Our “First Peoples” exhibit is one of the only local exhibits centering on the Suquamish Tribe, their culture and history, and their ties to Bainbridge Island. The implementation of the new Suquamish curriculum in the BISD demands an update and expansion of our exhibit, to better serve our local scholars, their families, community members, and visitors to Bainbridge Island. This project will fulfill the Cultural Activity and the History and Heritage community objectives by providing multiple perspectives on Suquamish culture, history, and contemporary issues through our updated exhibit. The richness of Bainbridge Island’s post-contact history is well documented in our current exhibits, but the pre- contact history needs to be more fully developed. By centering the Suquamish Tribe in our “First Peoples” exhibit, we will strengthen the position that history is a living tradition that continues to influence our daily life through ways we might not realize. Working in partnership with our Indigenous neighbors is an important aspect to healing the intergenerational trauma still affecting their communities, and our relationships with each other. b. Indicate which aspect(s) of the Elements your proposed project or activities will address and how they will address them. The updated BIHM First Peoples exhibit furthers the City towards its cultural Vision 2036, particularly in relation to offering education programs to residents and visitors, and promoting a living connection to our Island’s indigenous past through partnership with the Suquamish people. Our friendship with the Suquamish Museum means Bainbridge Island will be among a small number of cities with historical museums representing a predominantly post-contact population that partner with a world-class

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