Alyce Sadongei

Alyce Sadongei (Kiowa/Tohono O’odham) was the first Native American director of the American Indian Museum Studies Program at the Smithsonian Institution’s Office of Museum Programs where she developed training workshops for tribal museums and cultural centers. She later worked at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian where she laid the foundation for the current training opportunities available at NMAI. Alyce left the Smithsonian Institution to serve as the Assistant Curator for Native American Relations at the Arizona State Museum. During her tenure there, she led an eight-year project that focused on tribal libraries, archives and museums in partnership with the Arizona State Library and funded by IMLS.

She has subject expertise in repatriation, consultation and research regarding pesticide use on museum objects subject to repatriation and was also a contributor to the Protocols for Native American Archives. She received the Director’s Chair Award from the Western Museums Association for her contributions to the museum field at a national level. Alyce was the first recipient of a leadership award given by the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries and Museums in recognition for her work with tribal communities throughout all discipline areas of archives, museums and libraries. She has published work focusing on issues related to Native American repatriation, collections care, and community collaboration.

She has served on numerous boards and commissions including the Arizona Humanities Council, Pima Arts Council, now known as the Arts Foundation of Southern Arizona, the governor-appointed state board for Historic and Geographic Names and was co-founder of the Native American Museum Collaboration Network, now known as the Indigenous People’s Network at the American Alliance of Museums. She is currently a commissioner for the Tucson-Pima County Historical Commission. She most recently was the Program Manager at the American Indian Language Development Institute at the University of Arizona.

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