FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 12, 2006

Press Contacts
202-653-4632
Eileen Maxwell, emaxwell@imls.gov
Mamie Bittner, mbittner@imls.gov

IMLS Awards $974,317 for Native American and Native Hawaiian Museum Programs

Grants Enable Tribes to Preserve, Protect, and Promote Valuable Cultural Resources

Washington, DC--The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the primary source of federal funds for the nation’s museums and libraries, awarded $974,317 today to 23 Native American tribal communities and organizations that primarily serve Native Hawaiians. The Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Grant Program received a total of 43 applications, requesting $1,899,641, for this second year of grants. For a list of today's recipients, please see the list of awarded institutions.

“We are pleased to have a grant program that addresses the scope and diversity of Native American and Native Hawaiian museum activities,” said IMLS Director Dr. Anne-Imelda M. Radice. “With projects that range from documenting native speakers, to conserving fragile collections, to offering interactive public programs, these museums and cultural centers are helping to preserve elements of tribal culture for many generations to come.”

The Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Grant Program funds a variety of activities and services, including those that support the educational mission of a museum; build the skills and knowledge of individuals who provide museum services; or improve museum services, such as disaster preparedness, strategic planning, improvement of technology, collections care and management, and hiring of staff.

Highlights from this year’s recipients include the following:

• The Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center in Mashantucket, Connecticut, will use its grant to continue the museum's highly successful Pathways Project, which deepens middle-school students' understanding of and interest in science by engaging them in hands-on, field-based experiences in archaeology.
• The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, will use its grant to record the last remaining fluent speakers of its dialect to preserve the language for future generations. The tribe will also develop and offer four multi-generational immersion workshops.
• The PA’I Foundation, of Aiea, Hawaii, will use its grant to support events in a month-long Native Hawaiian arts festival, including a gallery walk in downtown Honolulu, a children’s art day, and an arts market with more than 35 Native Hawaiian artists.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. Its mission is to grow and sustain a “Nation of Learners” because lifelong learning is essential to a democratic society and individual success. Through its grant making, convenings, research and publications, the Institute empowers museums and libraries nationwide to provide leadership and services to enhance learning in families and communities, sustain cultural heritage, build twenty-first-century skills, and increase civic participation. To learn more about the Institute, please visit: http://www.imls.gov.