I recently attended the annual CWAM meeting in Laramie.  Being relatively
new to the small museum world I noticed (but was not too surprised at) the
lack of cultural/ethnic diversity.  I was not the only one--one of the
speakers from the East mentioned it to me as well.  I wonder how much of
this is 'intentional' and how much can be attributed to the museum
profession overall.  When I first began searching for employment in a
small museum, I thought I was missing opportunities because I was new to
the small museum world. However, after speaking with many people at CWAM,
I have learned that many (but not all) small museums that house
ethnographic collections (specifically Native American) feel threatened by
Native people.  I know that the large institutions have felt this way in
the past, but they seem to be overcoming this fear.  Just as I was about
to give up and take a job at a large museum again, I was offered a job
at a Victorian museum where my ethnic background was not a concern (good
thing I learned about Victorian culture in some of my Anthropology
classes!).

Since I am new to CWAM, I was wondering if the issue of Diversity has
ever been discussed, either as a theme for annual meetings, or
elsewhere.  Have other museum associations that cater to small museums
addressed this issue?  Or has anyone else observed what I have?  I would
be interested to hear what anyone has to say on the issue.

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<> <> <> Shannon Pelot Valerio <> <> <>
         Executive Director, Golden Landmarks Association
         Astor House Hotel Museum