Ryan S. Flahive, Candidate for Council

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Ryan S. Flahive

Archivist

he/him

 

Inclusion also applies to the acceptance of alternate ways of knowing, specifically ideas that challenge accepted western concepts of archives stewardship including reappraisal and voluntary repatriation.

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BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

I am an educator, historian, and archivist. In my service, I believe in the following:

• Patron-centered archival praxis, 
• Empowerment and professional support for BIPOC memory workers, 
• Indigenization of archival training, and 
• Proactive repatriation of cultural patrimony to source communities.

My graduate education at the University of Missouri–St. Louis (MA in history, graduate certificate in museum studies, 2003) prepared me for many different roles in the cultural sector. In addition to my nearly twenty years of experience as an archivist, I’ve served as a museum educator, curator, and classroom teacher. As director of Research, Archives, and Publications at Sharlot Hall Museum (2004–2008), I oversaw a large collection of western Americana. There, I worked with Indigenous populations providing workshops, internships, and other opportunities to community members. SHM’s first databases of digital assets and finding aids were established during my tenure, and I oversaw the design of a new research center and the subsequent move of the collections in 2007. Most importantly, I began voluntary repatriation and tribal consultation projects at SHM, a foundation of my current praxis. Since 2009, I’ve served the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), the world’s only college dedicated to contemporary Indigenous expression, as archivist and faculty. After years of proactive advocacy and outreach, the IAIA archives will move into a new, collaborative space—the IAIA Research Center for Contemporary Native Arts—an exploratory model that combines the IAIA Museum Collection with the IAIA Archives under one roof and database. Our model hopes to break down conventional, western silos that sometimes limit patron access to cultural assets. As faculty at IAIA, I teach undergraduate courses in archives and oral history, each focused on Indigenous ways of knowing and the decolonization of best practices. My professional service record in cultural organizations include: vice president of the Friends of Arizona Archives (2006–2009), Society of Southwest Archivists Professional Development Committee (2009–2012), New Mexico Historical Records Advisory Board (2012–present), the New Mexico Museum Association (2013– present; as president, 2020–2022), and the National Advisory Committee of the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums (2012–present).

DIVERSITY STATEMENT

Each candidate prepared a diversity statement according to SAA guidelines.

I am an advocate for inclusive and equitable practices in archives and museums. My nearly twenty years of experience is focused on patron-centered archival work and the education of Indigenous students at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe. There, I manage the archives, teach undergraduate courses in archival management and oral history methods, and provide internships, apprenticeships, and a strong professional network to students across the continent. We hope to assist a new generation of Indigenous archivists gain footing in predominantly white institutions.

Throughout my career, I have become increasingly aware of my inherent biases. I actively listen to diverse voices that may challenge my biases, which helps me continue to grow as an advocate for DEI while developing objective, trauma-informed solutions to access, reappraisal, and collection development issues. At IAIA, the archives are guided through conversation with staff, faculty, and students rather than top-down direction. We use an Indigenous assessment model to gauge our success, a model designed to include diverse voices to the qualitative data. Our work is based on Indigenous, community-based ways of knowing.

To me, diversity is the active, institutional celebration of difference. Equity is the creation of structured opportunities for all—in this context, equitable opportunities for professional growth for BIPOC memory workers. Inclusion is a multifaceted concept: inclusion of all memory workers—not just degreed professionals—from BIPOC and other underrepresented communities into the professional ranks. Inclusion also applies to the acceptance of alternate ways of knowing, specifically ideas that challenge accepted western concepts of archives stewardship including reappraisal and voluntary repatriation.

If elected, I would use my role on the Council to advocate for the following diversity, inclusion, and equity initiatives:

• Increase support of the activities of the SAA Native American Archives Section, 
• Identification and recognition of volunteer memory workers in BIPOC communities, and 
• Free online and in-person trainings for BIPOC memory workers who may not have the education or training of most professional archivists.

These initiatives may empower community memory workers to build the archival profession from the bottom up, creating inclusive and equitable collective memory moving forward.

QUESTION POSED BY NOMINATING COMMITTEE

As you look at the SAA Strategic Plan, Work Plan on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA), and the A*CENSUS II report, how do you envision the future of SAA, keeping in mind some of the challenges and/or opportunities the Society should prepare for?

CANDIDATE'S RESPONSE 

To me, based on the challenges, opportunities, and goals presented in the recent A*CENSUS II survey report, DEIA plan, and the 2023–2025 Strategic Plan, the future of SAA, as I envision it, includes the following initiatives. Each is achievable though the committee and task force structure and would 1) enhance professional growth, 2) advance the field, 3) meet members' needs, and 4) advocate for memory workers of all types.

• Formal Recognition and Inclusion of BIPOC Community Memory Workers: The acceptance, inclusion, and training of part-time, non-degree holding memory workers that represent BIPOC and other underrepresented populations. In order to fully integrate this population, SAA could provide structured support and training to our community of “accidental archivists.” 
• Formal Recognition and Inclusion of Community Archives: A new task force could be formed to examine how SAA can support community archives and could include a formal SAA grant program to address funding, space, and staff issues.
• A Focus on Emerging Archival Professionals: Easier paths to salaried positions for EAPs (Emerging Archival Professionals) can be promoted and achieved through SAA-funded internships, MLIS scholarships, and loan forgiveness programs. These types of initiatives can simultaneously enhance professional growth, advance the field, and meet the needs of SAA members. 
• Structured Advocacy for Archives and Archivists: I support a formal SAA advocacy task force to reframe the conversation about the fiscal value of memory workers to assure appropriate compensation. In an effort to quell the issues around salary, promotion, and hiring, I support increased advocacy on every level of government, including national, state, county, city, and tribal governments. 
• Voluntary Repatriation of Cultural Patrimony: As stewards for our various source communities, SAA could stand tall, following the lead of the Native American Archives Section and the Archival Repatriation Committee, and urge all PWI to reappraise holdings for potential voluntary repatriation. While we understand that NAGPRA does not cover archival materials, we should understand that some of what we hold should be rightfully returned to source communities. Proactive reparation, over time, will benefit the field and all memory workers as we work forward to be more inclusive and diverse as a profession and within our collections.

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