Harry Walters - Director of the Diné College Museum, 1973-2008

In 1973, Harry Walters, Navajo, participated in a new program at the Smithsonian designed to develop Indigenous Peoples' interest in becoming archivists, librarians, museum professionals, and historians. Individuals participating in the concentrated three-month program were exposed to Smithsonian historical materials related to Indigenous Peoples, including photographs, manuscripts, books, and works of art, and were given an introduction to library and archival training.

He was among a group of eight persons selected with the approval of their tribal councils to participate in the pilot phase of the program, jointly sponsored by the Cultural Studies Section of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the National Anthropological Archives (NAA) and the Office of Academic Studies. Dr. Herman Viola, Director, NAA, initiated the program, which he hoped would provide a platform for Indigenous Peoples to be better acquainted with national reference and resource agencies.

Walters spent his time at the Smithsonian learning techniques for the care and handling of artifacts, including their identification, description, conservation, storage, and exhibition. He intended to establish and curate a Navajo museum at the Navajo Community College (now Diné College) in Tsaile, Arizona.

Walters also spent six months at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City before going on to serve as the Director of the Diné College Museum from 1973 to 2008. The museum itself is located within the Ned A. Hatathli Cultural Center on the Tsaile Campus of Diné College and features mutiple audio-visual exhibitions as well as hosts traveling exhibitions, workshops, and lectures. The permanent collection contains manuscripts, films, audio recordings, photographs, and Navajo and other tribal artifacts.

An oral history interview with Walters was conducted by students of Diné College and Winona State University in 2009.

Related Resources

• Diné College
• "Remembering Diné College: Origin Stories of America’s First Tribal College," by Miranda Jensen Haskie and Bradley Shreve, August 20, 2018 - Tribal College: Journal of American Indian Higher Education
• Navajo Oral History Project - Winona State University
• Interview with Harry Walters, Navajo, Director of the Diné College Museum, Tsaile, AZ, October 29, 2000, by Gérard Selbach, Revue LISA/LISA e-journal
• National Museum of the American Indian - Internships
• National Museum of Natural History - American Indian Program

Related Collections

• Record Unit 371 - Office of Public Affairs, The Torch, 1955-1960, 1965-1988, Smithsonian Institution Archives
• Harry Walters: Walking Wisdom, by the students of Diné College and Winona State University, 2009, Smithsonian Libraries
• Living History Features, by students of Diné College and Winona State University, 2009, Smithsonian Libraries