Repatriation Specialist

The Field Museum is a not-for-profit museum located on Chicago’s Museum Campus. In the Field's 125 year history, which started in 1893 at the World’s Columbian Exposition in the “White City,” we have engaged in research on all seven continents, cultivated a collection of over 40 million specimens and objects, engaged with hundreds of thousands of students from Chicago and the surrounding areas, and welcomed millions of visitors to the Museum each year. We accomplish this through the efforts of our dynamic and diverse staff of not only scientists and educators, but also front line staff in Visitor Services and Membership, Protection Services, Facility Planning and Operations, as well as behind the scenes support staff.

The Field Museum is in search of a Repatriation Specialist to join our team!

The Repatriation Specialist assists the Repatriation Director in maintaining compliance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and conformance with the Field Museum's policies on repatriation. This one-year term position is responsible for conducting research, engaging in consultation, and assessing repatriation claims. The Repatriation Specialist will also update inventories, and submit notices to the National NAGPRA program. The Repatriation Specialist further acts as a liaison between numerous communities and constituencies.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Conduct research on geographic and cultural affiliation. This will include working with anthropology collections, synthesizing archival and published sources into reports, and providing information on Museum collections
• Consult with Native American Tribes and other Indigenous groups regarding repatriation and information requests
• Reassess and update past inventories and follow up on inactive repatriation claims
• Research historic land use and archaeology related to culturally unidentified human remains/objects in response to claims
• Generate NAGPRA documents, including summaries and inventories of collections, as well as Notices of Inventory Completion and Notices of Intent to Repatriate
• Update and manage the Repatriation database

Qualifications

• Minimum Master's degree in Anthropology or a related field and extensive museum experience
• Significant experience in ethnohistory, archaeology and/or biological anthropology
• Excellent research and writing skills, with the ability to synthesize and cogently present complex and disparate types of information
• Highly organized, able to work well within deadlines and concurrently execute administrative and research tasks
• Exhibit exceptional communication skills when working with museum colleagues, tribal representatives, and Board members
• Demonstrate collaborative approach
• Some lifting, straining, and standing will be required

Important Note: In order to protect the health and safety of our employees, guests and their families, the Field Museum is requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Requests for exemptions from the vaccine will not be considered as given the nature of this position, we are unable to provide an accommodation for anyone who has not been vaccinated.

The Field Museum is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion. We strive to create a working environment that is free of sexual, racial, and ethnic discrimination, and one that promotes human dignity and mutual respect among all staff. As such, it is the policy of the Field Museum to hire without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status.