2021-2022 Interns
Rachel Geiogamah
2021-2022 Anne Ray Intern
Rachel Geiogamah is a member of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma, and a recent graduate of Syracuse University, where she earned her Master of Arts in Museum Studies. Geiogamah is interested in decolonizing methodologies, particularly within museum collections, curation, and education. In 2019, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Studio Art with minors in English and Art History and has previously held positions at the Richardson-Bates House Museum, the Sue & Leon Genet Gallery, and the Davis Gallery at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Geiogamah is also considering a PhD in Native American or Cultural Studies in the future.
As an intern at the IARC, Geiogamah hopes to further her interest in promoting better accessibility and inclusion within museums. She has stated that her “work is focused on ways to bridge the divide between museums and Native communities and [ensuring] Native voices and perspectives are heard within the museum world.” Additionally, she looks forward to engaging with the on-campus community and participating in community learning with fellow scholars and artists.
During her tenure at SAR, Geiogamah will spend half of her time working on collections/registration projects and the other half working on academic/programming projects. She is also interested in working with another local organization to further her hands-on experience within the museum field. Geiogamah will be in residence from September 1, 2021 to May 31, 2022
Racquel West
2021-2022 Anne Ray Intern
Racquel West comes to the IARC from Seattle, where she has worked as the Collections Outreach Coordinator at the Burke Museum’s Bill Holm Center for the Study of Northwest Native Art since 2019. West earned her Bachelor of Arts in Geography and History with a Minor in American Indian Studies from University of Washington in 2020. She has also previously worked as a volunteer archivist for the Suquamish Museum in Washington. West is interested in better understanding how museums can be utilized to effect large-scale change within our society by shifting toward community-driven processes. In the future, she plans to pursue a PhD in Information and Archival Studies.
During her time on campus, West looks forward learning from IARC’s collections and programs. She explained that “by examining these stored knowledge systems we can relate their intentions and practices to establishing community driven engagement and protocols within museum databases and design. Ultimately, fostering the cyclical relationship between art and land, as well as, between communities and the Center.”
While on campus, West will spend half of her time working on collections/registration projects and the other half working on academic/programming projects. She is also interested in working with another local organization to further her understanding of “intergenerational learning and community-driven pedagogies.” She will be in residence at SAR from September 1, 2021-May 31, 2022.
Photo courtesy of Racquel West
Colloquium: 2021-2022 Anne Ray Interns
2021-2022 Anne Ray Interns, Rachel Geiogamah and Racquel West, presented on research they worked on while in residence at SAR on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. A recording of their presntation is available on our YouTube channel.