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Plains Indian Museum Curatorial Assistant

$36,000 - $40,000 yearly
Full time Other

Job Description

Please submit your cover letter and resume to the attention of terryh@centerofthewest.org

For more information log on to Employment Opportunities - Buffalo Bill Center of the West

Summary:

Supports collections management and research, content development and dissemination, educational and outreach activities, and programs connected to the strategic mission of the Plains Indian Museum (PIM) and the Buffalo Bill Center of the West (Center).

Job Duties:

  • Helps manage PIM collections-based activities, including acquisitions, deaccessions, and loans; updates collections databases; participates in stewardship of collections on exhibition and in vault storage.
  • Collaborates and facilitates outreach and programming with staff, advisors, volunteers, interns, teachers, students, and community members.
  •  Develops exhibition and program content for the PIM with Curatorial and Interpretive Education staff members, including curriculum-based content aligned with Indian Education for All initiative.  
  •  Assists with federal compliance under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).
  • Responds to internal, external research requests, and general public inquiries.
  • Develops and shares content through creative, original research utilizing a variety of outlets, including social media and public speaking. 
  • Works collaboratively with development staff to research funding sources and assists in writing grants and reporting, and fundraising activities to support Center programs.
  • Assists Curator in preparing and monitoring annual budgets.
  • Supports volunteers, interns, and temporary or contract staff.

 Competencies:

  • Ability to develop and maintain professional relationships with diverse communities and audiences. Proficient in collections object handling and management.
  •  Strong organizational, administrative, and time management skills.
  •  Discretion and good judgement.
  •  Excellent written/oral communications, and research skills.
  • Ability to work independently and with minimal supervision.
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite with basic knowledge of collections databases.
  •  Ability and willingness to learn institutional databases.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

  • May assist in overseeing volunteers, interns, and temporary or contract staff.

 Required Education and Experience:

  • Bachelor’s degree in museum studies or Native American/Indigenous Studies or related content area.
  • Two years’ experience in a museum, gallery, or related cultural organization with curatorial or collections emphasis.
  •  Demonstrated knowledge of or work with tribal communities.

 Other Duties:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

 EEO Statement:

Buffalo Bill Center of the West provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, disability, gender identity, results of genetic testing, or service in the military. Equal employment opportunity applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leave of absence, compensation, and training.

 

Buffalo Bill Center of the West
About Buffalo Bill Center of the West

The Center’s Mission, Vision, and Grounding Principles

Our Mission

To inspire, educate, and engage global audiences through an authentic experience with the American West.

Our Vision

The story of the West is uniquely American—an account with which all Americans can identify. Exploring the American West through art, science, culture, and history allows us to reconnect with a sense of place found nowhere else on earth.

The Spirit of the American West is a story that began thousands of years ago.

Charles Russell (1864 – 1926). “Trail’s End,” 1926. Gift of Charles Ulrick and Josephine Bay Foundation, Inc. 95.60

Native Americans were first, drawn to the bounty and beauty of the new land. They touched lightly upon the land and lived in harmony with it and became connected.

Then the explorers and pioneers came, along with the settlers, ranchers, and cowboys—rugged people, willing to risk all with courage and vision.

The story rises from the West itself—the soaring mountains, rushing rivers, endless plains, breathtaking skies, abundant wildlife, and the often harsh beauty of nature.

The story tells of those who came to change the land, and were changed by it. The people of the West had their struggles and triumphs, heartbreaks and humor; their stories became a mosaic of myth, of legend, and of fact. It is the Spirit of the American West, and it is a story that must be told.

William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody told the story—and lived the tale—like no other. Explorer and frontiersman, soldier and scout, actor and showman, entrepreneur and civic leader, Buffalo Bill was emblematic of the American West to his countrymen and to the world. Through characters, voices, artifacts, and legends, Cody weaved a colorful tapestry that brought to life the Spirit of the American West. Even today, his legacy continues to shape how we think about our history and the American character.

Hand-colored photograph, Buffalo Bill behind the scenes at a Wild West show, ca. 1910. Original Buffalo Bill Museum Collection. P.69.82

Just over a century ago, Cody dreamed of an institution that would “teach people by seeing history.” His dream is realized in the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming, the town he founded and that bears his name. Housed on an impressive campus, the Center’s collection of western objects, papers and research materials, photographs, and art is unmatched. Scholars and journalists alike explore the Center’s unique resources to discover a deeper understanding of our country’s signature place and time. Compelling exhibits, programs, and outreach offer visitors from around the world an opportunity to connect to the American West in a very personal way. To be sure, in every visitor, the Spirit of the American West is reborn.

Yes, Buffalo Bill’s dream is alive today. The story is being told…and there is so much yet to tell. The Buffalo Bill Center of the West takes seriously its role as guardian and storyteller of the Spirit of the American West. Moreover, in retelling that story, our own dream will be realized, and the Spirit of the American West will be kept alive among us. In the end, the story is about connecting the Spirit with our audiences and the American West. This is our vision and the plan to accomplish this vision becomes part of the Spirit itself.

The Buffalo Bill Center of the West is grounded in what was the American West and operates now in what is the American West. What the American West will be is a clean palette on which the Spirit of the American West that exists at the Center can grow, change, and prevail.

Our dream is that within twenty years the Buffalo Bill Center of the West will be recognized for linking our national character and values to the Spirit of the American West.

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