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Finding Aids to Official Records of the Smithsonian Institution Archives

Accession 19-203

National Museum of the American Indian. Museum Learning and Programs

Departmental Records, 1984-2018

Repository:Smithsonian Institution Archives, Washington, D.C. Contact us at osiaref@si.edu.
Creator:National Museum of the American Indian. Museum Learning and Programs
Title:Departmental Records
Dates:1984-2018
Quantity:4 cu. ft. (4 record storage boxes)
Collection:Accession 19-203
Language of Materials:English
Summary:

This accession consists of the records of Carolyn Rapkievian, Assistant Director for Interpretation, and document her work coordinating educational programs and outreach at the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI). Rapkievian first began her tenure at NMAI shortly after the Museum of the American Indian in New York City was transferred to the Smithsonian Institution. She helped organize a preview of the National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center in New York City in 1992 as well as helped organize exhibitions, public programs, and the opening of the museum in 1994. Starting in 1995, Rapkievian was on the team responsible for the planning of the NMAI museum in Washington, D.C. and its opening celebration in 2004. Since then she has been responsible for the running of educational programs and outreach at the museum until she retired in 2019. Among the various titles Rapkievian held include Assistant Director for Education and Museum Programs. Some records date to when the office was known as the Office of Public Programs and the Office of Education and Museum Programs. Also some materials date to when the museum was known as the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation and was not part of the Smithsonian Institution. Materials include correspondence, memoranda, trip reports, visitor surveys, reports, lectures, publications, conference records, blog post text, guidelines, workshop records, study guides, brochures, images, audio cassettes, forms, clippings, and other related materials. Some materials are in electronic format.

Descriptive Entry

This accession consists of the records of Carolyn Rapkievian, Assistant Director for Interpretation, and document her work coordinating educational programs and outreach at the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI). Rapkievian first began her tenure at NMAI shortly after the Museum of the American Indian in New York City was transferred to the Smithsonian Institution. She helped organize a preview of the National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center in New York City in 1992 as well as helped organize exhibitions, public programs, and the opening of the museum in 1994. Starting in 1995, Rapkievian was on the team responsible for the planning of the NMAI museum in Washington, D.C. and its opening celebration in 2004. Since then she has been responsible for the running of educational programs and outreach at the museum until she retired in 2019. Among the various titles Rapkievian held include Assistant Director for Education and Museum Programs. Some records date to when the office was known as the Office of Public Programs and the Office of Education and Museum Programs. Also some materials date to when the museum was known as the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation and was not part of the Smithsonian Institution.

Materials include correspondence, memoranda, trip reports, visitor surveys, reports, lectures, publications, conference records, blog post text, guidelines, workshop records, study guides, brochures, images, forms, clippings, and other related materials. Some materials are in electronic format.

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Preferred Citation

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 19-203, National Museum of the American Indian. Museum Learning and Programs, Departmental Records

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Container List

Box 1

External Lectures and Publications

Spain report, 1998

Box 1 of 4

Spain lecture, 1998

Box 1 of 4

Association of Youth Museums (AYM), 2000

Box 1 of 4

Kyrgyz Lecture, 2006

Box 1 of 4

Russia International Conference of Museums (ICOM) Program, 2014

Box 1 of 4

Russia ICOM - Paper, 2014

Box 1 of 4

Blogs, 2018

Box 1 of 4

EQUITAS Paper

Box 1 of 4

Ukraine - General, 2007

Box 1 of 4

Peace Museums Conference

Box 1 of 4

New York City Museum Educators Report (NYCMER)

Box 1 of 4

United States Institute for Theatre Technology Presentation

Box 1 of 4

"Guidelines for Program Research and Development for the Office of Public Programs" - Working draft, April 23, 2001

Box 1 of 4

Articles, reviews, and speeches, 2005

Box 1 of 4

Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums (MAAM) Presentation, 2005

Box 1 of 4

American Association for State and Local History (AASLH), 2010

Box 1 of 4

Visitor Reports

Results from the 1999 Membership Survey

Box 1 of 4

Senior Management Group (SMG) Retreat recording, June 11, 2002 (audiocassette)

Box 1 of 4

Director W. Richard West at the National Press Club recording, September 27, 1999 (audiocassette)

Box 1 of 4

Visitor experience - SMG Retreat, June 6, 2002

Box 1 of 4

Visitor services - Day 2 - Presentation, February 2, 2004

Box 1 of 4

Visitor Services - Mall Museum Master Plan, 2003-2004

Box 1 of 4

NMAI Protocols for Serving Visitors in the Mall Museum, 2003-2005

Box 1 of 4

Visitor comments, 2004

Box 1 of 4

Visitor comments, 2005

Box 1 of 4

Member survey, 2005

Box 1 of 4

Poolaw Visitor Study, 2015

Box 1 of 4

Visitor survey, visitor studies, miscellaneous, 2005

Box 1 of 4

Exit Survey, 2005

Box 1 of 4

Our Peoples: Giving Voice to Our Histories exhibition - Visitor Insight to Messages and Metaphors, 2005

Box 1 of 4

Visitor comments, 2006

Box 1 of 4

Visitor complaints, 2007

Box 1 of 4

Visitor survey - Summary of past studies, 2007

Box 1 of 4

Visitor survey - Visitor studies, 2007-2008

Box 1 of 4

Visitor studies - Latin America, 2010

Box 1 of 4

Visitor studies - Latino Audiences, 2009

Box 1 of 4

Visitor Surveys - Identity By Design exhibition, 2007

Box 1 of 4

Visitor study - Brian Jungen: Strange Comfort exhibition, 2010

Box 1 of 4

Visitor emails, 2004

Box 1 of 4

Visitor studies - Megan Birney and Jennifer Shannon, 2004-2005

Box 1 of 4

Visitor study - The Great Inca Road: Engineering an Empire exhibition, 2013-2015

Box 1 of 4

Visitor comments - Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations exhibition, 2016-2017

Box 1 of 4

Visitor study - Glittering World: Navajo Jewelry of the Yazzie Family exhibition, circa 2016

Box 1 of 4

Visitor Experience in the Mall Museum, 1994-2002

Box 1 of 4

Visitor study report - Patriot Nations: Native American in Our Nation's Armed Forces, 2017

Box 1 of 4

Visitor Study - Our Universes: Traditional Knowledge Shapes Our World, 2017

Box 1 of 4

Visitor Study - Lewali Theater, 2017

Box 1 of 4

Visitor Survey - Pathways of Tradition: Indian Insights into Indian Worlds - Data and form, 1993

Box 1 of 4

Responding to Visitor's Concerns, 2005

Box 1 of 4

Visitor studies summary presentation, 2005-2006

Box 1 of 4

imagiNATIONS - Visitor study, 2014

Box 1 of 4

Visitor Study - Our Lives: Contemporary Life and Identities, 2015

Box 1 of 4

Meta-analysis of visitor studies conducted for NMAI from 1996-2017, 2017

Box 1 of 4

Member survey, 1995-1998

Box 1 of 4

Visitor satisfaction presentation - Andrew Pekarik and Barbara Mogel, 2009

Box 1 of 4

Visitor Studies, 2015

Box 1 of 4

Visitor comments - Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations, June 2017

Box 1 of 4

Visitor Studies - Identity by Design: Tradition, Change, and Celebration in Native Women's Dresses, 2007 (includes electronic records)

Box 1 of 4

Community Consultations

Community consultations - Duane H. King - List of consultants, 1990-1994

Box 1 of 4

Northern Plains consultations: Billings, Montana, 1992

Box 1 of 4

Community consultations - Consultation lists, 1991-1993

Box 1 of 4

Community consultations - Community service, 2005

Box 1 of 4

Hawaii Consultation, 1993-2003

Box 1 of 4

Internal Affairs and Correspondence

NMAI - George Gustav Heye Center (GGHC) - News releases, 1992

Box 1 of 4

Collecting Plan - Education collection, 1992

Box 1 of 4

Operating issues, 1994-1995

Box 1 of 4

Museum Operating Policies and Issues, 1994-1998

Box 1 of 4

Correspondence from W. Richard West, 1999-2004

Box 1 of 4

Finding GGHC Staff - September 11, 2001

Box 1 of 4

4th Museum Vision Statement and Affirmation of Goals, 1992, 1996

Box 1 of 4

Correspondence - Elaine Heumann Gurian and Ken Gorbey, February-November 2003

Box 1 of 4

Elaine and Ken correspondence, March and November 2003

Box 1 of 4

Accessibility team

Box 1 of 4

Accessibility training, 2010

Box 1 of 4

Deaf Way II - International arts festival, symposium, and conference, 2001

Box 1 of 4

Day 1 Project List, 2003

Box 1 of 4

Lelawi Theater - Announcement

Box 1 of 4

Lelawi Theater - Script

Box 1 of 4

Communications Plan, 2002-2004

Box 1 of 4

General presentations, 2004-2006

Box 1 of 4

NMAI Staff Orientation Guidebook, August 2004

Box 1 of 4

Opening Documents

Soft Opening - Awards, 2004

Box 1 of 4

Soft Opening - General, 2004 (2 folders)

Box 1 of 4

Soft Openings - New exhibit masterplan, 2003

Box 1 of 4

Official opening - General, 2004

Box 1 of 4

Official opening - Invitations, 2004

Box 1 of 4

Official opening - Opening week, hours and passes, 2003-2005

Box 1 of 4

Official opening - Transition team retreat, 2002

Box 1 of 4

Opening communications - Possible issues, 1994, 2004

Box 1 of 4

Opening communications - Talking points and FAQs, 2004

Box 1 of 4

Official opening - Calendars and staffing, 2004

Box 1 of 4

Transition team, 1993, 2003

Box 1 of 4

Mall museum building tours, 2004

Box 1 of 4

Mall museum documents, 1999-2004

Box 1 of 4

Box 2

Mall museum opening documents

Box 2 of 4

Identity Documents

Indian identity, 2016

Box 2 of 4

Identity/Stereotypes - Indian identity policy, 1992-1996

Box 2 of 4

Identity/Stereotypes - Identity, 1996

Box 2 of 4

Identity/Stereotypes - Cultural Awareness Working Group, 1995

Box 2 of 4

Identity/Stereotypes - Tribal documentation, 1992, 1999

Box 2 of 4

Identity/Stereotypes - Stereotypes, general, 1994, 2005

Box 2 of 4

Evaluations

Evaluation most important - Internal, 2004-2006

Box 2 of 4

Evaluation: Charlotte Heth's file, 1994-1995

Box 2 of 4

Evaluation, 1995

Box 2 of 4

Evaluation Project, 1995-1996

Box 2 of 4

Evaluation next steps, 1994-1995

Box 2 of 4

Scholastic evaluation, 2006

Box 2 of 4

Excellent Judges evaluation, 2003-2006

Box 2 of 4

NMAI evaluation forms, 2003

Box 2 of 4

Commissioned Scholars - Critiques, 2005

Box 2 of 4

Cultural Arts evaluation form

Box 2 of 4

Education department evaluations, 2004-2006

Box 2 of 4

Program evaluation form, 2007

Box 2 of 4

Our Peoples: Giving Voice to Our Histories - Evaluations, 2003

Box 2 of 4

NMAI Soft Opening Evaluations, 2004

Box 2 of 4

Resource Center on 155th St. - Statistics, 1984-1986

Box 2 of 4

Cinema Showcase Evaluation, 2005

Box 2 of 4

Clinton's Critique - Exhibitions at GGHC

Box 2 of 4

NMAI exhibits - Evaluations, 1995

Box 2 of 4

Selected experts, 2004-2005

Box 2 of 4

Exhibit Studies and Reports

Images of Native Americans, 1998, 2002, 2005

Box 2 of 4

Katy Beckham's report, 2006

Box 2 of 4

Exhibition Revisions - Board, January 2007

Box 2 of 4

Potomac Comparison Study, 2008-2009

Box 2 of 4

Office of Policy and Analysis (OP&A) Potomac Research, 2008 (includes electronic records)

Box 2 of 4

OP&A Project, 2005

Box 2 of 4

Black Indians research, 2007-2008

Box 2 of 4

Born of Clay: Ceramics from the National Museum of the American Indian - Visitor study, 2006-2007

Box 2 of 4

The Power of Chocolate festival - Visitor study, 2012

Box 2 of 4

Connecting with Native Voices - Visitor impressions of the GGHC, 1996

Box 2 of 4

Listening to Our Ancestors: The Art of Native Life Along the North Pacific Coast - Visitor responses, 2006

Box 2 of 4

A Song for the Horse Nation - Study, 2007, 2010

Box 2 of 4

imagiNATIONS Activity Center (IAC) - Latino, 2012

Box 2 of 4

IAC Report, 2012

Box 2 of 4

Infinity of Nations: Art and History in the Collections of the National Museum of the American Indian - Survey of Visitors, May 2012

Box 2 of 4

NMAI Latino, 2012

Box 2 of 4

Megan Birney's report, 2004-2005

Box 2 of 4

Megan Birney's studies, 2004

Box 2 of 4

Off the Map: Landscape in the Native American Imagination - Visitor study, 2007

Box 2 of 4

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) Survey Form

Box 2 of 4

Potomac test

Box 2 of 4

Rama Lakshmi report, 2006-2007

Box 2 of 4

Fritz Scholder: Indian/Not Indian - Study, 2009

Box 2 of 4

Mapping Treaties: Concept Mapping as a Guide for Developing a New Exhibition at the National Museum of the American Indian, 2007

Box 2 of 4

Initial visitor interviews - Treaties - Conducted by Katy Beckham, 2006

Box 2 of 4

Vantage Point: The Contemporary Native Art Collection - Visitor study, 2011

Box 2 of 4

Up Where We Belong: Native Musicians in Popular Culture - New York - Visitor study, 2013

Box 2 of 4

Up Where We Belong: Native Musicians in Popular Culture - DC - Visitor study

Box 2 of 4

Wayfinding - Kiosk signs, 2009

Box 2 of 4

Where's the History?, 2004-2005

Box 2 of 4

Windows on Collections - Remedial evaluation, 2006

Box 2 of 4

Native New York Study, 2015

Box 2 of 4

Americans - Study proposal, 2015

Box 2 of 4

Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations - Oberg Research Study, 2015

Box 2 of 4

Kay WalkingStick: An American Artist and Unbound: Narrative Art of the Plains - Visitor survey form, 2016

Box 2 of 4

Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations - Comments, 2015

Box 2 of 4

Armenian Minister Visit, 1998

Box 2 of 4

Museum Programs

GGHC Programming, 1995-2003 (2 folders)

Box 2 of 4

NMAI Programs, 1994-2004 (2 folders)

Box 2 of 4

Museum programs, 2004-2013 (folder 1 of 5)

Box 2 of 4

Box 3

Museum programs, 2004-2013 (folders 2-5 of 5)

Box 3 of 4

Internal Meetings and Reports

Board report, 2004

Box 3 of 4

Mission statement, 2005

Box 3 of 4

Board meeting, October 2006

Box 3 of 4

Board book, June 2006

Box 3 of 4

Board meeting, June 2006

Box 3 of 4

Board meeting, 2007

Box 3 of 4

Board meeting, 2008

Box 3 of 4

Board meetings - Miscellaneous

Box 3 of 4

Leadership Coaching Workshop, 2009

Box 3 of 4

Leadership team, 2009

Box 3 of 4

Retreat - Museum Programs groups, 2007

Box 3 of 4

Museum Associates Council (MAC) Retreat, 2007

Box 3 of 4

Museum Associates Council meeting, 2007

Box 3 of 4

Museum Associates Council meeting, 2010

Box 3 of 4

NMAI Financial Report, 2008

Box 3 of 4

Internal Presentations: Oneida Sculpture, 2008

Box 3 of 4

Internal Presentations: MAC Meeting, 2008

Box 3 of 4

Internal Presentations: MAC Family programs, 2009

Box 3 of 4

Internal Presentations: Museum Programs Presentations, 2008 (2 folders)

Box 3 of 4

Boat Documents

Earl Nyholm's Boat, 2007

Box 3 of 4

Boats - Panels

Box 3 of 4

Canoe, 2008

Box 3 of 4

Boat program - Photos

Box 3 of 4

Boat launches, 2005

Box 3 of 4

Boat photos

Box 3 of 4

Boat demos, 2004

Box 3 of 4

Bishop Museum Canoe, 2003

Box 3 of 4

Boat Building Project, 2002

Box 3 of 4

Boat research and emails, 2003

Box 3 of 4

Boats, 2004

Box 3 of 4

Boat updates, 2005

Box 3 of 4

Penobscot, Maine, 2003-2005

Box 3 of 4

Initial Boat Research

Box 3 of 4

Kayak research

Box 3 of 4

Aymara Reed Boat, 2002

Box 3 of 4

Exhibit - Edward Tappan Adney Boat Collection, 1994

Box 3 of 4

Kayak photos

Box 3 of 4

IAC Documents

IAC - Hands-on activities

Box 3 of 4

IAC - Concentration games

Box 3 of 4

IAC - Stilt house

Box 3 of 4

IAC - Tipi

Box 3 of 4

IAC - Kayak

Box 3 of 4

IAC, 2010

Box 3 of 4

IAC, 2009

Box 3 of 4

IAC - Presentation

Box 3 of 4

IAC - Script

Box 3 of 4

IAC - Resource center

Box 3 of 4

Film Documents

1000 Roads, 2005

Box 3 of 4

The Film, Los Angeles, 2003

Box 3 of 4

NMAI Mall Museum Film Project, 1999-2000

Box 3 of 4

Film consultation, 1999

Box 3 of 4

Film Workshop, 2002

Box 3 of 4

General

Birchbark - Miscellaneous, 2001, 2008

Box 3 of 4

Aouran York Abenaki, 2003-2004

Box 3 of 4

Mall Resource Center (RC) Planning, 1995-1997

Box 3 of 4

CoNexus Development, 1996

Box 3 of 4

Resource Center documents, 1993-1999

Box 3 of 4

Information center stats, 1984-1986

Box 3 of 4

GGHC RC Activities, 1996

Box 3 of 4

History of the RC, 1989, 1996, 2002

Box 3 of 4

Marty Kreipe talk

Box 3 of 4

Museum of the American Indian, 1987

Box 3 of 4

Geography - National Geographic, 2006

Box 3 of 4

Film presentation ideas - Cliff Trafzer, 1999

Box 3 of 4

Thanksgiving, 1987, 2006-2008

Box 3 of 4

Response letter - Stephanie Betancourt, 1995

Box 3 of 4

Letters to teachers, 2012

Box 3 of 4

Spain documents

Box 3 of 4

Brochure - Voyage of Rediscovery: Hokule'a 1985-1987

Box 3 of 4

Hawaii research and contacts, 2005-2016

Box 3 of 4

Brochure - Friends of Hokule'a and Hawai'i Loa

Box 3 of 4

Notes from Elaine Gurian's presentation at AAM, 2000

Box 3 of 4

Elaine Gurian's Idea form, 1990

Box 3 of 4

Elaine Gurian documents, 1991

Box 3 of 4

Inauguration, 2009

Box 3 of 4

Partnership, Czech, Dvorak, 2011

Box 3 of 4

Mother Earth, 2007

Box 3 of 4

Box 4

Kawesquar of Tierra Del Fuego research proposal, 2000

Box 4 of 4

Educational Objectives, 1999 (2 folders)

Box 4 of 4

Dance Theater of Harlem, Consultation with NMAI, 1999

Box 4 of 4

Curriculum development meeting, 2000

Box 4 of 4

Study Guide - Awareness: A Guide for Educators - Teaching with respect and sensitivity for Native people, 1999

Box 4 of 4

Wood that Sings Symposium, 1997

Box 4 of 4

Children's Festival Report, 1998

Box 4 of 4

Review meetings and criteria

Box 4 of 4

Program ideas from Gabrielle Tayac, 1999

Box 4 of 4

Possible Public School Lesson

Box 4 of 4

Naiche, 2003

Box 4 of 4

Honoraria Amounts at Smithsonian Institution, 1999

Box 4 of 4

Programs, C. S. Fieldwork, 1995

Box 4 of 4

Alaska fieldwork, 1994

Box 4 of 4

Tennessee fieldwork, 1991-1994

Box 4 of 4

Education Unit, Curriculum Material Development, 2000

Box 4 of 4

Education and Museum Programs

Box 4 of 4

Interpretive Services Unit, Cultural Interpreters History, 2001

Box 4 of 4

Interpretation GGHC Opening Exhibitions, 1992

Box 4 of 4

Thanksgiving - Revisited, 2008

Box 4 of 4

Museum Programs - General, 1994-2007

Box 4 of 4

Cultural Documents

Cultural Registry - Sample Monthly programs, 2004

Box 4 of 4

Cultural Arts - Ted Nolan, 2007

Box 4 of 4

Cultural Arts - Story telling, 2008

Box 4 of 4

Cultural Arts - Program assessment group, 2010-2011

Box 4 of 4

Cultural Arts - Hawaiian program, 2004-2006

Box 4 of 4

Cultural Agenda, 1993

Box 4 of 4

Expressive Culture - Review Meetings and Criteria, 1995-1997

Box 4 of 4

Expressive Culture - Criteria

Box 4 of 4

Expressive Culture - Public Review, August 1998

Box 4 of 4

Expressive Culture - Program Participants Form

Box 4 of 4

Expressive Culture - Opening Ceremony, 1994

Box 4 of 4

Living Culture Program Planning, 2004

Box 4 of 4

Public Programs

Public Programs Strategic Plan, 2005

Box 4 of 4

Public Program Proposals to National Curatorial Office (NCO)

Box 4 of 4

Public Program and Background, 2004

Box 4 of 4

Advisory Council

Advisory Council notes, 2000

Box 4 of 4

Advisory Council chats, 2000

Box 4 of 4

Advisory Council, 2000

Box 4 of 4

Coming Together - Opening Programs, 2004

Box 4 of 4

Coming Together to Visit, 1996-1997

Box 4 of 4

Mall Program Master Plan, 2000

Box 4 of 4

Mall opening program, 1998-2000

Box 4 of 4

Mall programs, 2001-2007

Box 4 of 4

Theater documents

Native Playwrights, Actors, Directors, 2001

Box 4 of 4

Theater Workshop Flyers, Mailings, 1997

Box 4 of 4

Boston Children's Museum, 2012

Box 4 of 4

Museum Theater - NMAI theater conference, 2008

Box 4 of 4

International Museum Theater Alliance (IMTAL) Union, 2002

Box 4 of 4

NMAI Theater Workshop, 1996-2007 (3 folders)

Box 4 of 4

Harvest Ceremony Script, 1997

Box 4 of 4

Museum Theater - Professional Interest Council, 2000

Box 4 of 4

Harvest Ceremony, 1999

Box 4 of 4

NMAI Theater

Box 4 of 4

American Association of Museums (AAM)

AAM - Presentation - Are All Roads Good?: Opening the National Museum of the American Indian - Chair: Carolyn Rapkievian, 2005 (includes electronic records)

Box 4 of 4

AAM, 2006

Box 4 of 4

AAM, 2007

Box 4 of 4

AAM, 2009

Box 4 of 4