Today, the National Museum of the American Indian launched a searchable online collection of 5,500 items and photographs. The online collections site, called the “Fourth Museum,” is part of a plan by the museum to put its whole collection of more than 800,000 items online (see today’s press release about it), which is expected to take four years. The Washington Post describes the effort in a Jan. 30 article.
The online collection could be a boost for teachers who are attempting to carry out new state laws or regulations that require them to teach students about the tribes in their states. Idaho, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin all require students to be taught about Native American tribes in their states, while North Dakota makes a similar mandate part of its teacher training. For more information, see an article I wrote about this topic, “Native American History, Culture Gaining Traction in State Curricula,” in November for Education Week.