Indigenous Relations Program Lead

This position is not eligible for sponsorship.

Position Information

This role serves as the Indigenous Relations Program Manager, coordinating and supporting the Museum of the Rockies’ Indigenous relations work across departments. The position sustains respectful, reciprocal, and accountable relationships with Native Nations, Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, Indigenous artists, cultural representatives, contributors, and community partners.

General Statement

With over 250,000 general visitors, MOR has recently completed an ambitious master plan and anticipates a significant campaign. MOR has actively established and seeks to maintain reciprocal relationships with Tribes across Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho. The Indigenous Relations Program Lead will be a fundamental player in the success of the museum and these relationships. The position reports to the Curator of Cultural History, serves as an integral member of the Cultural History Team, while also coordinating across museum departments.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Manage and coordinate Indigenous relations work that fosters respectful, reciprocal relationships with Native Nations, Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, designated tribal representatives, Indigenous artists, cultural advisors, contributors, and community partners.
• Serve as a primary point of coordination for Indigenous relations across Cultural History, Collections, Paleontology, Education, Exhibits, and Public Programming.
• Oversee tribal relations to ensure equitable opportunities are provided for all willing tribes in MOR’s geographic region in working with MOR activities.
• Coordinate with MOR Departments for tribal visitation support processes, including scheduling, correspondence, agenda preparation, meeting materials, travel logistics, documentation, and follow‑up.
• Coordinate with Cultural History, Collections, and the Associate Curator of Indigenous History to support research, documentation, collections care, and exhibit development related to Indigenous cultural items, histories, and community priorities.
• Coordinate with Paleontology staff on Indigenous relations needs related to tribal consultation, culturally significant sites, fieldwork, research communication, interpretation, educational content, and community engagement.
• Coordinate with MOR Education Department in working with Tribal colleges, K‑12 schools, and governments to represent the needs of the Museum.
• Coordinate with MOR departments to develop their specific goals, objectives and strategies to guide to achieve a reciprocal relationship with individual tribes.
• Collaborate with relevant MOR directors and curators to develop and administer the overall oversight body that oversees MOR Tribal relations on all MOR activities.
• Identify and coordinate effective strategies for MOR’s Indigenous relations work, and track commitments made to Native Nations, contributors, artists, and community partners, across MOR departments.
• Coordinate with MOR Education and Cultural History departments to conduct outreach to Native communities, including identified public cultural gatherings, such as powwows, conferences, and other significant tribal events, and report on feedback of tribal nations and communities.
• Represent the Indigenous Relations Program in MOR internal planning meetings that involve Indigenous relations, including project discussions, tribal consultation and coordination preparation, programming, exhibit development, educational planning, docent training, and community partnership work.
• Build a plan to present at conferences and scholarly venues to represent MOR Indigenous Relations Program to advocate the tribal relations process to museums, schools, tribal offices, and other requested education and outreach requests.

Required Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in any field.
• 3‑5 years of experience coordinating projects, programs, events, meetings, outreach, or communications involving multiple stakeholders.
• 3‑5 years of experience working with tribal governments, Indigenous communities, Native student organizations, cultural organizations, community partners, or…