About the Program: 

Belongings deeply important to tribal communities are often housed in museums far away from those communities. In this talk, hear the remarkable story of how the Nez Perce Tribe and their allies purchased the largest and oldest collection of Nez Perce material culture - including dresses, shirts, and other regalia - from a museum over 2,000 miles away from their homeland.

In this hopeful story of culture resiliency and making amends for past injustices, explore issues surrounding collection and curation, and the changing relationships between museums and Native communities. It's a story that transcends the efforts of one Northwest tribe to show how many indigenous communities are reuniting with their heritage.

This lecture is sponsored by the Thomas S. Foley Institute for Public Policy and Public Service, which educates citizens across the state about democratic institutions and public affairs, and is based at Washington State University. It is also sponsored by Humanities Washington, a nonprofit organization dedicated to sparking conversation and critical thinking. It provides this and many other cultural programs to hundreds of thousands of people throughout Washington each year. 

About the Speaker:  Trevor Bond is the director of the David G. Pollart Center for Arts and Humanities and the associate dean for digital initiatives and special collections at the Washington State University Libraries. He is the author of Coming Home to Nez Perce Country: The Nimiipuu Campaign to Repatriate Their Exploited Heritage, a finalist for the 2022 Washington State Book Award for non-fiction. 

Please note: This is a free program, no registration required. By making a payment on this page you are making a donation to help support this and other educational programs. Thank you for your donation!