The exhibition InSight: Photos and Stories from the Archives at the National Museum of the American Indian give an intimate view of Indigenous lives across the Western Hemisphere and across time. The photos show everyday moments of joy and quite reflection. In these images, people attend social gatherings, pose for family photos, and learn from relatives. Each photo has a story to tell. It is the rich insight shared by Native people that brings these stories to life.

In this session, InSight exhibition curators discuss their work stewarding the archival collections at NMAI, working in collaboration with Native communities, and how this work directly led to the creation of the first NMAI Archives exhibition in more than two decades. You’ll hear from processing archivist Rachel Menyuk, head archivist Emily Moazami, and reference archivist Nathan Sowry, moderated by exhibits manager Meg Rivers.

Photo: Thommy Mestokosho (Innu, 1937-2016) playing guitar, Quebec, Canada, 1959. Photograph by William Stiles (1912-1980). William F. Stiles collection of photographs and films. S02178