2009 Awards Program
Call for Entries
Download the Awards Nomination Form
The 2009 National Conference of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums brings together people from throughout North America who are advocates for preserving tribal heritage. Conference organizers wish to take this opportunity to honor distinguished men and women for outstanding contributions to the field through its Guardians of Language, Culture, and Lifeways Awards Program.
The purpose of the Awards Program is to:
- recognize recipients before their peers as part of the 2009 National Conference of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums;
- acknowledge and encourage activities of the highest quality; and
- provide vehicle for promoting individuals and institutions through media news releases.
Individual Award Catagories
Lifetime Achievement Award. This award honors an American Indian individual whose body of work has significantly contributed to the preservation and understanding of American Indian cultural heritage. The criteria for this award include 25 years of service in the archives, library, or museum professions (in any combination).
Leadership Award. The Leadership Award honors an American Indian individual with exceptional ability to lead and inspire, reflected in accomplishments with broad impact in the archives, library, and/or museum professions. Nominees must be currently working in the archives, library and/or museum professions.
Outstanding Project Award. This award recognizes an outstanding project undertaken by one or more American Indian individuals or organizations. Nominations may include successful projects resulting from collaboration between individuals and/or organizations. They may also include projects of those in a related profession (like archeologists or historians) that greatly benefit tribal archives, libraries or museums.
Friends of Tribes Award. This award honors a person or organization, not tribally affiliated, whose work has significantly benefited tribal archives, libraries or museums theory or practice; significantly contributed to the preservation of American Indian cultural heritage; or supported the education or work of tribal archivists, librarians, or curators.Institutional Excellence Awards
Institutional Excellence: Archives Award. This award recognizes tribal archives that demonstrate a significant commitment to the preservation and use of documentary heritage. Nominees will be evaluated on their effectiveness in improving the documentary record through: identifying and ensuring the preservation of records relating to tribal communities and topics; demonstrating success in raising public awareness of the importance of improving documentation; using innovative approaches to identifying and acquiring the records of tribal communities/topics; or using effective and appropriate approaches to making this documentary record available to a broader public audience.
Institutional Excellence: Library Award. This award recognizes a tribal library that profoundly demonstrates outstanding service to its community. Nominees must have developed innovative and effective services and programs that can be replicated by other libraries; partnered successfully with other institutions to improve and enhance services; or demonstrated excellence in service that has impacted the community in a measurable way. Emphasis will be placed on accomplishments that showcase the library's role as community center.
Institutional Excellence: Museum Award. This award recognizes tribal museums and museum services that demonstrate significant commitment to the care and presentation of material cultural heritage. Nominees must have demonstrated: innovative and effective care of collections methods; originality and quality of programming (including exhibitions, education and outreach, events, and publications); or successful collaboration with other heritage organizations.
Institutional Excellence: Language Award. This award recognizes a tribal archive, library, or museum contributing significantly to the mission of keeping our indigenous languages alive, as exemplified by starting or sustaining effective language programs. Nominees will be judged on their central role in community language revitalization, innovation and creativity in language programs, or development of programs that can be replicated by other tribes.