Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians

The Choctaw Museum and Tribal Archives of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians will seek to authenticate its holdings and bring in outside consultation to provide training in proper collections management techniques. The museum has in its possession 240 swamp bane baskets, 90 dolls, 15 pairs of stickball sticks, 15 ceramic vessels, and various pieces of traditional Choctaw garments and textiles. The Tribal Archives contains more than 2,000 photographs; 500 books, periodicals, and maps; and both audio and video recordings of Choctaw chanters, singers, and storytellers. The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians will partner with staff from the Peabody Essex Museum, who will provide guidelines to establish a collections management policy for both the museum and the archives. Peabody Essex Museum personnel will also give recommendations for safe, long-term storage configurations.