Johnson Calls on the White House Budget Office to Fund Sioux Indian Museum
Johnson Calls on the White House Budget Office to Fund Sioux Indian Museum
U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) joined a bipartisan letter addressed to Josh Bolton, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), regarding proposed funding cuts for the Sioux Indian Museum in Rapid City, housed in the Journey Museum. The Sioux Indian Museum, which is fully federally funded, is at risk of losing that funding.
"The Sioux Indian Museum is an integral part of the Journey Museum and the cultural history of Tribes in this region. It would be a severe disappointment to see this collection dismantled or removed from the area. We will continue to work with the OMB during the budget process to assure that this collection stays intact and seek resolutions to keep this museum properly funded," Johnson said.
Letter was also signed by U.S. Representatives Rehberg (R-MT), Lucas (R-OK), Cole (R-OK0 and Herseth (D-SD).
Letter attached:
January 11, 2006
Dear Director Bolton,
We are writing to express our concern with the federal funding of the three Indian Arts and Crafts Board (IACB) museums of the Department of the Interior. Although we understand that the Budget Office has no intention of closing the museums in 2006, The Museum of the Plains Indian in Browning, Montana, The Sioux Indian Museum in Rapid City, South Dakota, and The Southern Plains Indian Museum in Anadarko, Oklahoma, are threatened with closure in fiscal year 2007 if these museums are not properly funded. We strongly support these museums and will vigorously oppose any attempts to undermine their important mission.
The museums promote Native American art through the housing and preservation of valuable Native American historical artifacts that are centuries old. The IACB's additional responsibility is to enforce the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990, which was created to protect Indian arts, crafts and culture from an increase in sales of counterfeit Indian arts and crafts. The IACB currently has a budget of $1.1 million. It costs only $400,000 to run all three museums. The IACB believes that it does not receive proper funding to fulfill its obligation to the museums' legacy and to continue to enforce the Act to restrain counterfeit Indian artistry and craftsmanship. However, we believe the IACB's mission of promoting Native American art through the operation of these museums should not be abandoned.
The Indian art and collections at each of the three museums are very unique and rare. An array of historical artifacts, tools, jewelry, and clothing are visual reminders of the region's cultural history. The region-specific exhibits attract tourists interested in the artifacts of the particular tribes and their traditions. If the museums are forced to close in 2007, an attempt is sure to be made to relocate the rare and unique treasures they house to the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. Forcing these museums to close and ship their collections to a national museum thousands of miles away would deal a severe blow to the communities and cultures the museums serve.
The federal government cannot simply walk away from its responsibility to preserve valuable historical artifacts. American Indians, and indeed all Americans, have a right to expect even a small government investment in the protection of these treasures. We look forward to working with you during the budget process to ensure the continued operation of these important historical and cultural museums. Thank you for your consideration of this important matter.
Sincerely,
Tim Johnson
U.S. Senate
http://johnson.senate.gov/~johnson/releases/200601/2006118348.html