December 2004
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Volume 30 Issue 4 December 2004 An example of a commercial building in the Atlantic neighborhood, although most of the images in the Yesler- Atlantic Neighborhood collection are of residential buildings. (Seattle Municipal Archives, Photograph 49643) Seattle Central District Photographs Online See the Seattle Municipal Archives report on Page 13 for more information. Page 2 December 2004 President’s Message EASY ACCESS Published quarterly by the As the year draws to a close, most of us in the Northwest Archivists, Inc. Northwest find ourselves once again sealed in rain- gear, braving the wind, rain, and snow, and pa- Editor tiently counting the days till the solstice when the John Bolcer University of Washington sun will alter its path and return the longer and <[email protected]> warmer days. As a relative newcomer, I’ve noticed that folks born and raised here seem to embrace the Assistant Editor Sharon Howe weather and take pride in shunning outdoor sur- Oregon Historical Society vival gear (such as umbrellas and long pants) that <[email protected]> most of us require to endure the elements. Per- NWA OFFICERS haps, hardiness is one of the defining traits of our region. President Elizabeth Joffrion However, as I watch the gusty rain from my office Center for Pacific Northwest Studies window, my thoughts turn to VEGAS. On my last Vice President visit to the “Diamond of the Desert,” the afternoon Terrance (Terry) Badger temperature averaged an unbelievable 117 degrees, Washington State Archives but of course, it was August. Happily, we will be Secretary/Treasurer joining our colleagues from the Society of Califor- Diana Banning nia Archivists, the Inter-Mountain Archivists and City of Portland Archives the Society of Rocky Mountain Archivists in the BOARD REPRESENTATIVES balmy month of April (14-16) and we can expect an average daytime temperature of 75 degrees. Sigh. Alaska Representative Arlene Schmuland University of Alaska—Anchorage For those of you calculating the year-end budget and wondering if there is enough money in the cof- Idaho Representative fers to subsidize an out-of-region conference, here Linda Morton-Keithley Idaho State Historical Society are a few reasons that should encourage you to plan ahead for an opportunity to attend this unprece- Montana Representative dented “Super Meeting.” First, the conference site Ellen Crain Butte Silver Bow Archives is the newly renovated and quite luxurious Alexis Hotel featuring beautiful landscaping, swimming Oregon Representative pools, and sun. The hotel is non-gambling, so dur- Terry Baxter Multnomah County Records Program ing the day, we can focus on the important work of the archival conference. At night, you’ll discover Washington Representative the Strip nearby and those with a predilection for Janette Gomes dice or show tunes will find many opportunities to Washington State Archives, Puget Sound Region indulge. To date, the program and local arrange- MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR: ments are shaping up quite nicely, and I extend Diana Shenk, many thanks to Donna McCrea, Larry Landis and [email protected] their committees for their work thus far. I won’t Webpage: www.lib.washington.edu/nwa (Continued on page 23) EASY ACCESS Newsletter of the Northwest Archivists, Inc. December 2004 Page 3 The Beauty of It All —Cheryl A. Metoyer, Ph.D., Chief Academic Affairs Officer, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation The following article is the text of a keynote address given by Dr. Metoyer on October 22, 2004 at the Oregon Col- laborative Conference, “Tribal Archives, Libraries and Museums: Preserving Our Language, Memory and Life- ways,” held at the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Good morning to all of you. It is a privilege I then recalled a discussion that occurred to be here in this beautiful Tamastslikt Cultural In- last month at the Newberry Library in Chicago. stitute. Thank you, Alyce Sadongei and the Ari- The D’Arcy McNickel Center for American Indian zona State Museum and State Library for honoring History and the CIC American Indian Studies Con- me with the invitation to speak this morning. I am sortium, sponsored their Third Annual National Re- grateful and delighted to be here. search Conference entitled, “Native Peoples and When Alyce emailed me with the invitation Museums: Building Reciprocal Relationships for to speak, she asked me to prepare an inspirational the Twenty-first Century.” The presentations con- address for all of you engaged in collaboration and cerned museums in relation to historical societies, resource sharing among tribal archives, libraries the university, and the public. The perspective was and museums. Hmmmmm. That was a first for somewhat different from that generally shared by me. So, I won’t be speaking about planning, orga- information professionals, when we talk among nizing, staffing, directing, coordinating or budget- ourselves. I will come back to this conference a lit- ing for tribal libraries, archives or museums. tle later. The morning following my talk with Alyce, So, there I was on the beach—thinking while walking on the beach, I began to think about about the natural beauty of the place, the silence, what I might say to you. Well, the ocean was so this little shell, and the Newberry discussions. At blue, the waves so powerful, and the seagulls so that moment, it all came together. It was all so playful, that I was just overcome with the beauty of beautiful. I decided that I wanted to wonder and it all. I was in awe! My mind began to whirl as I ponder some more about beauty: What makes a considered tribal libraries, archives and museums— thing beautiful? Do we, as librarians, archivists, what they have in common, what they represent and museum staff members engage in beautiful and why they exist at all. During this reverie, I work and if so, why? The work we do is challeng- looked down and spied this little treasure. It is ing, exhausting, frustrating and sometimes reward- called a Wavy Top Turban Shell. My nieces love ing. But is it indeed beautiful, I wondered? these and call them little houses. It is a simple, Let me return to Chicago and the Newberry pearly, small gem of beauty and it looks like a little Conference. The audience consisted of scholars, house---a miniature dwelling place. Indeed, it was faculty, members of the Chicago Indian commu- a home for a snail and later on the shore, a home nity, graduate students, and members of historical for a tiny creature—the hermit crab. This Wavy societies, museum directors and curators, and li- Top Turban Shell is found anywhere from Pt. Con- brarians. I presented a case study of the develop- ception to Baja California. I held it and thought ment of the Pequot Society gallery of the Mashan- about shelters—houses, hogans, tents, wigwams, tucket Pequot Museum. During the questioning tipis, and longhouses. I thought about how we of- session, I participated in a discussion, the gist of ten translate the words “library” “archives” which went something like this: “museum” “cultural center” into the Native lan- Is it not true that museums and libraries are guage(s) equivalent of “house of wisdom.” (Continued on page 4) EASY ACCESS Newsletter of the Northwest Archivists, Inc. Page 4 December 2004 (Continued from page 3) at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and really icons of colonization? These institu- Western Art in Indianapolis. tions, by their very nature, objectify Native The discussion provoked intriguing debate. people and perpetuate stereotypes. Did pre- Issues concerning sovereignty, objectification, contact indigenous people really have any- colonization, the role of federal and state funds in thing comparable to museums, or archives the development of tribal libraries, archives and or libraries? In building libraries, archives museums, all found their way into the give and take and museums, aren’t the tribes validating of this session. and perpetuating the symbols of their colo- I listened carefully and came home think- nization and subjugation---thereby negating ing, “be that as it may, we do good, important and their histories before contact? beautiful work in our tribal libraries, archives and I was a little taken aback. It had been a museums.” A few days later, Alyce emailed me long time since I had pondered the effects of cul- about this conference. As I said, I walked the tural imperialism in this way. It had been a long beach with beauty everywhere, including on my time since I had heard tribal libraries, archives and mind. So in that spirit, here are some thoughts museums characterized in any way other than posi- about beauty and why it is important to remember tive. After all, we here assume that tribal libraries, and consider the beauty of it all. archives and museums are inherently good. These When a person walks into our tribal librar- were very provocative statements, and they gener- ies, archives or museums they encounter a realm of ated serious food for thought. While I did not pur- beauty. What do we know about the perception of port to speak for all the tribes, I did have some beauty? Beauty is powerful. People can question ideas to bring to that discussion. or doubt almost anything, except beauty. It cannot Libraries, museums and archives as institu- be doubted because it is a transcendental property tions, or as buildings, in the Western/European of “being” itself. sense, did not exist in pre-contact tribal communi- It is a great teacher (as stipulated by many ties. However, their functions, broadly interpreted, wisdom traditions). Beauty has the power to trans- as means of preserving our language, memory and form the heart and generate gratitude---deep grati- lifeways were certainly present.