Affiliation: Museum of Indian Arts & Culture
Danyelle Means (Oglala Lakota) is the Executive Director of the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture (MIAC) in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her work focuses on the care, interpretation, and ethical stewardship of Native material culture, with particular attention to the Indigenous peoples of the Southwest. She oversees the museum’s Archaeological Research Collections and works closely with Tribal Historic Preservation Officers and Native communities on issues related to NAGPRA, collections access, and cultural responsibility.
Danyelle’s career includes work at the National Museum of the American Indian, the Institute of American Indian Arts, the Center for Contemporary Arts in Santa Fe, and the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts, as well as independent curatorial and consulting projects. She brings a perspective grounded in Indigenous knowledge systems and lived experience, emphasizing that archaeology and collections work must remain accountable to the communities from whom these materials originate.
Means’ presentation reframes the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) not as a legal obligation but as a vital opportunity for healing, reciprocity, and relationship-building between archaeologists, museums, and Indigenous communities. Drawing from Indigenous perspectives, the talk explores how NAGPRA challenges institutions to move beyond compliance and toward practices rooted in respect, sovereignty, and shared stewardship. By centering Native voices and experiences, this session invites the audience to consider how honoring ancestors and returning cultural items can transform the field into one of accountability, trust, and long-term collaboration.
