The Smithsonian Institution Summer Institute in Museum Anthropology (SIMA) trains graduate students t
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The Summer Institute in Museum Anthropology (SIMA) is a research training program offered by the Department of Anthropology at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History. The program seeks to promote broader and more effective use of museum collections in anthropological research by providing a supplement to university training. Each summer SIMA supports 10-12 graduate studen
ts who want to use collections in their research. Using Smithsonian collections, experts, and visiting faculty, SIMA:
• introduces students to the scope of collections and their potential as data
• provides training in appropriate methods to collect and analyze museum data
• makes participants aware of a range of theoretical issues relating to collections
• positions students to apply their knowledge within their home university
The curriculum, including both seminars and hands-on workshops, teaches students how to navigate museum systems, select methods to examine and analyze museum specimens, and recognize the wealth of theoretical issues that museum data can address. For more information on SIMA visit: http://anthropology.si.edu/summerinstitute
We hope you’ll contribute to this interactive forum and to our ongoing conversation about the work we do to further the Smithsonian's mission to increase and diffuse knowledge. SIMA is supported by a series of grants from the Cultural Anthropology Program of the National Science Foundation under the following grant numbers: BCS1424029, BCS1127060, BCS1039499, BCS0852511, BCS0806775
While on-topic discussion is encouraged, we ask that you express yourself in a civil manner and treat other users with respect. The Smithsonian also monitors and may remove posts consistent with its terms of use, as described at http://si.edu/Termsofuse -gen.
Lydia Curliss (University of Maryland), who is a member of the Nipmuc Tribal Community, is looking at archival and collections material pertaining to Indigenous communities in southern New England. Her research focus is on how museum collections, processes and policies construct southern New England Indigenous identity.
In “Engaging Accessions and Collectors,” Josh Bell discussed the dynamics of collecting and the multiple agencies involved by examining the layered colonial contexts embedded in the documentation and in the objects themselves.
2024 SIMA Faculty Fellow Tarisi Vunidilo (California State University-Los Angeles), who is Fijian, shared her personal journey into the field of museology. She described her PhD research and her involvement in the repatriation of objects in German collections back to the Solomon Islands, Palau and Hawaii, and being inspired by the return of the Hawaiian cloak in New Zealand back to Hawaii in 2016. During SIMA, she has been focusing on ways of presenting items collected in Fiji by the Wilkes Expedition (1838-1842) to the classroom and to Fijian homes via digital media. Here she is looking at a tattooing tool collected from Levuka, Ovalau Island, Lomaiviti Province in the 1870’s.
Bethany Palkovitz (University of Washington) is counting twined cedar weft on a duck down Coast Salish blanket. Bethany is interested in the applicability of Lushootseed language within the National Museum of Natural History Coast Salish collections.
María José Pelaez (George Washington University) is looking at Chief Igwa Nigdibippi’s 1924 San Blas map. It was drawn by him during the 1923-25 Darien Expedition led by Richard O. Marsh. The map depicts places and events that occurred before the Guna Revolt. Over the past 100 years the Guna have constructed their own narratives to reclaim sovereignty over their land. María José is interested in understanding how this map might play a role in this process.
Suzanne Joseph (Catholic University of America) is the SIMA 2024 NAA reference archivist intern. She holds dual degrees, a PhD in Anthropology and a recently awarded MS in Library and Information Science. She is interested in making meaningful connections between archival collections and cultural artifacts. It is often hard for researchers to make these connections because of separate collections management practices and systems. She sees bringing archival and artifact collections together as part of a larger and necessary effort across cultural heritage institutions.
Paige Gavin (George Washington University) is looking at a rat trap and shark tooth and wooden knuckle dusters from Chuuk State, Federated States of Micronesia. These objects are from a collection made by John H. Brandt, a public health official for the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands in 1957-60 to learn more about the health of the people and how disease was spread through the islands. The collection also contained jewelry, weaving, fishing and canoeing equipment and food preparation tools. The knuckle dusters are weapons used either in ritual or actual combat fighting. She wonders why a public health official would be interested in collecting objects with such a wide variety of uses.
Andrea Richardson (University of Texas Austin) is looking at a baby carrying strap from the Fang people of Gabon collected ca. 1890 by Rev. A.C. Good. This object among all others in the Good collection stood out as a material example of the colonial representation of African motherhood.
In “Indigenous Collections in Global Worlds: Then and Now,” Gaye Sculthorpe (Deakin University) described how exhibitions of Indigenous collections from Australia have been presented in Australia and Britain. She described how exhibits were framed for and received by the different audiences at the National Museum of Australia and the British Museum, discussed the ways historic objects can create new stories and relationships, explained some of the challenges in exhibiting objects in different contexts, and raised the ultimate question - where do objects belong?
SIMA 2024 Faculty Fellow Jamon Halvaksz (University of Texas at San Antonio), whose work focuses on the changing relationship of people to their altered and transformed environment as a consequence of climate change and mining, is developing a class reflecting on materials from the Bulolo and Watut River Valleys in Papua New Guinea.
Urna Mukherjee (Johns Hopkins University) is looking at watercraft models of colonial South Asian origin that were displayed in 19th century exhibitions. This model fishing boat (called “Tony”) is based on boats used by local fishermen along the coast of Bombay. It was displayed in the 1883 International Fisheries Exhibition in London.
Aaron LaMaskin (University of British Columbia) is looking at the Tŝilhqot'in basketry held by the Smithsonian at the request of the Tŝilhqot'in National Government (TNG). Seen here are clearly attributable examples of Tŝilhqot'in basketry. His main focus, however, is on basketry that is not so readily attributable and may be in the collections. The ultimate purpose of his research is to support the TNG in their repatriation efforts.
In her first SIMA lesson, “Indigenous Knowledge and Biocultural Collections,” Gaye Sculthorpe (Deakin University) introduced her Tasmanian ancestors and discussed ways by which Indigenous knowledge can be incorporated in museum collections with a particular focus on natural history. The platypus skin rug was purchased in Sydney in 1925.
In “Learning from Things,” Josh Bell explores how events are inscribed by, through and in different media, and how one can work around the silences created by these media to understand collecting events and history. During the class, students sort through and look at an array of objects collected during the 1928 USDA Sugar Cane Expedition to Papua New Guinea to create narratives as a way of (partially) reading the silences.
Chunfen Zhou (Indiana University) is looking at a lacquered helmet made by the Nuosu, a sub-group of the Yi people who live in SW China. Although the collector, an American missionary, didn't give an age estimate of this helmet, he recorded a lacquered armor he collected at the same time, in August 1928, to be about 200 years old. While Nuosu armor is relatively common in museum collections, the helmet Zhou is inspecting is very rare. The collector couldn't identify the animal species from which the hide elements used to construct the helmet and the armor came. Existing literature suggests the possibility of buffalo, elephant, or rhinoceros, but direct sampling of the material hasn't been conducted to verify it.
Marie Eshkibok (New Leaf), who is Naomi Recollet’s cousin and participated in her workshop on birchbark quillwork, looked at examples of the way her Anishinaabe ancestors did bead and quillwork. Marie is of the Bear Dodem (Bear Clan), and explained that the Bear teaches to go on an annual fast–as, they do during their hibernation. The Bear, who circled the villages in the old days and protected the Anishinaabe, is seen as a guardian. Because they surrounded the villages, they knew the medicines. The Bear Dodem is the keeper of this medicine knowledge.
In her SIMA class, Making History Interesting, Naomi Recollet described her involvement in the return of a treaty pipe to Anishinaabe (Odawa/ Ojibwe) communities on Manitoulin Island, Ontario. She also conducted a birchbark and porcupine quill workshop – From the Land of Odawa Mnis – an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in working with some traditional materials and making their first quilled medallion. Naomi belongs to the Crane clan and is from the Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory
Josh Bell’s class, Exploding Objects, helps students think through how objects are made, the social relations involved in making them and what can be deduced from looking at objects in museum collections.
Naomi Recollet (re)visiting some birch bark sugar boxes she first encountered during her SIMA 2016 research project. For her SIMA 2024 presentation, “Returning Bundles, Renewing Spirit, and Recovering Knowledge,” she described how her various encounters with a sword, sugar boxes and potsherds held in museum collections in the US, Canada and Europe have led to the recovery and revitalization of important knowledge in her community. Naomi is Anishinaabe (Odawa/ Ojibwe) of the Crane clan from the Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory on Manitoulin Island, Ontario and the first SIMA alum to return to the program as guest faculty
Faculty Fellow Tarisi Vunidilo (University of Hawaii) and Archival Collections Intern Suzanne Joseph (Catholic University of America) are looking at lantern slides taken by George L. Waite on an expedition to Algeria in 1930. Tarisi, who is Fijian, is teaching a class on American Indian and Indigenous studies. The Waite slides are pertinent to the Africa component of her class.
Torrey Rick's class, Environmental Archaeology & Community Collaboration, challenges some of the paradigms of museum anthropology within the context of natural history museums.
Week one of SIMA 2024 featured an introduction to the National Anthropological Archives (NAA) and the Human Studies Film Archive (HSFA).
Eric Hollinger, Tribal Liason in the NMNH Office of Repatriation, describes his work with community groups and 3-D imaging.
SIMA began Monday with an orientation to Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, the philosophy of the program and a set of talks about methods by Joshua Bell and Candace Greene (pictured) and Head of NMNH Repatriation program Dorothy Lippert talking about Inidgenous Science; we rounded out the day with a tour of the museum and of the exhibit Cellphone: Unseen Connections
SIMA 2024 began its second day with a brief tour and some handy handling tips
Every year as part of SIMA we host two faculty fellows to join the program to learn how to teach with archival and object collections, and to pursue their own projects with collections at the Smithsonian. This year we are delighted to host Professors Jamon Halvaksz (UT San Antonio) and Tarisi Vunidilo (Cal State University - LA).
We are delighted to announce the visiting faculty fellow for 2024 session of the Summer Institute of Museum Anthropology Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History which will run from June 24 to July 19. Joining us for the first time is Professor Gaye Sculthorpe (Deakin University) and Naomi Recollet lead care taker for the art and ancestral/ heritage items at the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation (OCF). SIMA's founding director Candace Greene will be rounding out this excellent rooster of visiting scholars. They will be joined by various Curators and Museum Professionals working at the Smithsonian.
The deadline for submitting applications to the Summer Institute in Museum Anthropology (SIMA) has been extended to March 7, 2024. The program will be held at the National Museum of Natural History from June 24 – July 19, 2024.
The Summer Institute in Museum Anthropology (SIMA) is a graduate student summer training program in museum research methods offered through the Department of Anthropology at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History with major funding from the Cultural Anthropology Program of the National Science Foundation.
During four weeks of intensive training in seminars and hands-on workshops in the research collections, students are introduced to the scope of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History Anthropology collections. Students become acquainted with strategies for navigating museum systems, learn to select methods to examine and analyze archival and museum collections, and consider a range of theoretical issues that collections-based research may address. Throughout SIMA, students are also taught about the ethics of engaging with communities’ belongings in museums, and the practicalities of doing collaborative research. In consultation with faculty, each student carries out preliminary collections research on a topic of their own choice and develops a prospectus for research to be implemented upon return to their home university. Instruction will be provided by Dr. Joshua A. Bell, Dr. Candace Greene and other Smithsonian scholars, plus a series of visiting faculty.
Who should apply?
Graduate students preparing for careers in cultural anthropology who are interested in using museum collections in their research. The program is not designed to serve students seeking careers in museum management. Students at both the masters and doctoral level will be considered for acceptance. Students in related interdisciplinary programs (Indigenous Studies, Folklore, etc.) are welcome to apply if the proposed project is anthropological in nature. All U.S. students are eligible for acceptance, even if studying abroad. International students can be considered only if they are enrolled in a university in the U.S. Members of Canadian First Nations are eligible under treaty agreements.
Costs: The program covers students’ tuition and shared housing in local furnished apartments. A stipend will be provided to assist with the cost of food and other local expenses. Participants are individually responsible for the cost of travel to and from Washington, DC.
Dates: June 24, 2024 – July 19, 2024
Application deadline - March 7, 2024
For detailed information about SIMA please visit:
https://naturalhistory.si.edu/research/anthropology/programs/summer-institute-museum-anthropology
For full application instructions visit:
https://naturalhistory.si.edu/research/anthropology/programs/summer-institute-museum-anthropology/sima-application-instructions
Applications must be submitted online at: Smithsonian SOLAA
SOLAA Guidance for Applicants
1. To begin, go to: Smithsonian SOLAA (si.edu)
2. Log in
a. Log in to existing account – Click on “Start Your Application”
b. Log in to create an account - First time applicants must first create a SOLAA account
3. Select “Start an Application”
4. Select the Program Category “Internship.”
5. Search “Office/Museum/Research Center” and select “NMNH-National Museum of Natural History”
6. Review the listing and select Summer Institute in Museum Anthropology (SIMA). Select “Details” and “Show More” to see what is required.
8. When ready, select “Apply Now”
9. Complete all application aspects
10. Click SUBMIT
Additional questions? Want to discuss a project proposal? Email [email protected]
Applications must be submitted online at Smithsonian SOLAA (detailed instructions below). A completed application must include the following: (1) Statement of Interest (2) Proposed Research Project (3) Letter(s) of Support
SIMA 2024 Call For Applications
The Summer Institute in Museum Anthropology (SIMA) is happy to announce that we are accepting proposals from prospective graduate student participants for the 2024 program. The program will be held next summer at the National Museum of Natural History from June 24 – July 19, 2024.
SIMA is a graduate student summer training program in museum research methods offered through the Department of Anthropology at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History with major funding from the Cultural Anthropology Program of the National Science Foundation.
During four weeks of intensive training in seminars and hands-on workshops at the museum and an off-site collections facility, students are introduced to the scope of collections and their potential as data. Students become acquainted with strategies for navigating museum systems, learn to select methods to examine and analyze museum specimens, and consider a range of theoretical issues that collections-based research may address. In consultation with faculty, each student carries out preliminary data collection on a topic of their own choice and develops a prospectus for research to be implemented upon return to their home university. Visiting faculty members for 2024 will be announced in the coming months. Local faculty will include Dr. Joshua A. Bell, SIMA director and Dr. Candace Greene, Director emeritus of SIMA, as well as other Smithsonian Institution Department of Anthropology curators and staff.
Who should apply?
Graduate students preparing for research careers in cultural anthropology who are interested in using museum collections as a data source. The program is not designed to serve students seeking careers in museum management. Students at both the masters and doctoral level will be considered for acceptance. Students in related interdisciplinary programs (Indigenous Studies, Folklore, etc.) are welcome to apply if the proposed project is anthropological in nature. All U.S. students are eligible for acceptance, even if studying abroad. International students can be considered only if they are enrolled in a university in the U.S. Canadian First Nation members are eligible under treaty agreements.
Costs:
The program covers students’ tuition and shared housing in local furnished apartments. A small stipend will be provided to assist with the cost of food and other local expenses. Participants are individually responsible for the cost of travel to and from Washington, DC.
Dates: June 24, 2024 – July 19, 2024
Application deadline - March 1, 2024
For detailed information about SIMA please visit:
https://naturalhistory.si.edu/research/anthropology/programs/summer-institute-museum-anthropology
For full application instructions visit:
https://naturalhistory.si.edu/research/anthropology/programs/summer-institute-museum-anthropology/sima-application-instructions
Additional questions? Want to discuss a project proposal? Email [email protected]
The Summer Institute in Museum Anthropology (SIMA) at the Smithsonian seeks to promote broader and more effective use of museum collections – artifacts, audio recordings, art works, still and moving images - in anthropological research by providing graduate students with an immersive, four-week tr...
SIMA 2023 is a wrap! 12th year of the ongoing program funded by the NSF with support from Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: 11 research interns, 5 collections & archives interns, 2 faculty fellows, 3 visiting faculty and 7 lecturers. Folks came from 17 public and private universities from the US, Canada and Australia.
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Joshua Bell focusing on a series of accessions from New Guinea, Torres Strait and Vanuatu to talk about how to investigate Indigenous agency in collection formation and the ways one can understand the past and its possibilities through collections
💥 Objects is an exercise that is a mainstay of SIMA and is a way students are encouraged to closely look at their groups object and through drawing map out the relations near and far that each object contains. SIMA Director Joshua Bell’s lessons on 💥 can be found here in the SIMA DSpace here: https://repository.si.edu/handle/10088/114533 & here https://repository.si.edu/handle/10088/114535
Joe Horse Capture's Native Lacrosse lesson begins - on the field.
Joe Horse Capture begins his SIMA teaching week with a vigorous lacrosse lesson.
Michael Jordan (SIMA 2017 Faculty) talks about a Kiowa boy's clothes collected by James Mooney in the late 19th century.
Emily Cain photographs a Siberian carving of “two men chasing a giant goose” as part of her work for the NMNH Department of Anthropology Circumpolar Ethnology Imaging Project. Emily will teach a lesson on photography as a research tool for SIMA this year. Get more images and information for this object (E175599) here: http://collections.nmnh.si.edu/search/anth/?irn=8350950
Department of Entomology, NMNH, Smithsonian I
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