Selena Ortega-Chiolero, Candidate for Council

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Selena Ortega-Chiolero

Museum Specialist

she/her

 

We are stronger when we work together.

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BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• Museum Specialist, Chickaloon Village Traditional Council – Nay’dini’aa Na’ Kayax, 2018–present 
• Scanning Technician, Contractor for Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition’s CLIR Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives Project Digitizing the Records of U.S. Indian Boarding Schools, October 2022–December 2022
• Executive Director, Palmer Museum of History and Art, 2012–2017

EDUCATION

• Master of Fine Arts in Cultural Administration (Cultural Centers & Tribal Museums), Institute of American Indian Arts (expected 2024) 
• Professional Certification in Cultural Heritage Tourism, George Washington University 
• Professional Certification in Museum Studies, Institute of American Indian Arts 
• Bachelor of Arts in Art History, California State University, Sacramento 
• Bachelor of Arts in Asian Studies, California State University, Sacramento 
• Associate of Arts, Cosumnes River College

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES/LEADERSHIP

• Society of American Archivists: Native American Archives Section, Chair (2022–present), Steering Committee Member (2020–2022) 
• Museums Alaska: Board President (2022–present), Board Secretary (2018–2021) 
• Northwest Archivists: Native American Archival Collections Roundtable member (2020– present) 
• Mukurtu Advisory Board: Member (2022–present) 
• University of Maryland Indigenizing SNAC Advisory Board: Member (2022–present)

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS & AWARDS

• “Toward Inclusive Readings Rooms: Recommendations for Decolonizing Practices and Welcoming Indigenous Researchers,” co-authored with Rose Buchanan, Keau George, Taylor Gibson, Eric Hung, Daria Labinsky, Diana Marsh, Rachel Menyuk, Lotus Norton-Wisla, Nathan Sowry and Monique Tyndall, Archival Outlook, January/February 2021: 4–5, 14. 
• Fellow, University of Virginia Rare Book School, Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship for Diversity, Inclusion and Cultural Heritage (2021–2023)

SELECTED PRESENTATIONS

• ATALM International Conference of Indigenous Archives, Libraries and Museums, “Reclaiming Cultural Expressions Through Equitable Pathways” (2022) 
• Rutgers University Digital Asset Management Certificate Program Symposium, “Colloquia for DAM Leaders: New Boundaries in Museums” (2021) 
• Northwest Archivists Annual Conference, “Redrawing the Roadmap: Perspectives from Indigenous Professionals on Working with Federal Repositories” (2021) 
• Digital Libraries Forum, “Scaling Training for Tribal Archives, Libraries and Museums + Public Libraries: Access Culture and Community” (2021) 
• Museums Alaska Annual Conference, “Moving from Competition to Collaboration: Creating Better Partnerships in Your Region” (2018)

DIVERSITY STATEMENT

Each candidate prepared a diversity statement according to SAA guidelines.

In the Ahtna Dene community, cultural values are embedded in everything the community does. For Nay’dini’aa Na’ Kayax (Chickaloon Native Village), the community I work for and reside in, perhaps the most important values are care and love for each other, honesty, and respect. When I think of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), I often come back to these cultural values because for me, DEI means seeing, acknowledging, and listening; honestly seeing the differences in one another, acknowledging and respecting those differences and how they affect how we perceive the world around us and the decisions we make, and finally, listening to one another so that we each feel like we are heard, appreciated, and cared for.

As a first-generation Mexican-American with Indigenous Mexican roots, I carry my cultural traditions and family history close to my heart. I know who I am and where I come from; it serves as the inspiration and drive behind my professional work and personal aspirations. However, in doing this work, I have and continue to understand that I view the world through a very specific lens. For this reason, I continue to educate myself by participating in conversations and professional development opportunities that allow me to engage with those professionals and individuals from the broader community that do not necessarily have the same experiences or perspectives as I do. An example of this would be through my participation in the University of Virginia Rare Book School’s Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship in Diversity, Inclusion and Cultural Heritage. Participating fellows represent a variety of professionals from different racial or ethnic communities, with a variety of academic backgrounds working for a variety of cultural heritage institutions/organizations. Together we are learning and building connections with diverse communities and publics through programming, outreach, advocacy, and training. Furthermore, I actively participate and contribute to SAA’s Native American Archives Section where I am joined by colleagues representing organizations and institutions that are far removed from my own but collectively working toward a singular purpose and vision to improve the resources for and understanding behind the complexities of stewarding Native American archival collections.

I endeavor to successfully contribute toward meaningful change within the cultural heritage sector by assisting in advancing DEI within SAA and the broader field. I consider it my responsibility and believe I offer a unique perspective. I seek to bring other voices to the table including those that have not traditionally been considered voices of authority and those that are authentic and knowledgeable in their community’s histories, culture, and traditional language(s) who can provide context, understanding, and consent to how we steward our cultural heritage.

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 

We are in a momentous period within the cultural heritage sector—dare I go as far to say a pivotal point where the balance can tip either way. On one side is business as usual, with the professionals in our field continuing to empower those of privilege while maintaining exclusive spaces with limited access that perpetuate a lack of integrity in how they represent our communities and who they truly are. On the other end is what could be, professionals reflecting on not only their own identities but also that of their institutions and organizations. Ruminating so that they can begin to understand and acknowledge the subjectivity and commodification of knowledge and how colonial legacies have and continue to influence how we manage, share, and provide access to material culture.

I envision a future SAA that embraces collective knowledge through acknowledgement and collaboration. In its updated Strategic Plan, SAA has identified that structural barriers exist within the organization. As an individual working in archives outside of academia and beyond an institutional structure, I did not originally see SAA as a space for someone like me nor did my employer, a Tribal government, see it as a space for our staff to benefit from. Acknowledging these barriers is a first step in improving access and inclusivity. Reevaluating and restructuring SAA leadership and membership is the next step. In doing this work, SAA has the opportunity to broaden its members and partners which can improve organizational sustainability while better serving the cultural heritage community at large.

How we view and understand archives is changing. Many smaller communities are moving toward community-centric approaches toward collecting and managing their cultural heritage. For SAA to better serve those audiences while still being supportive of its current membership, SAA needs to amend and expand its course offerings and certifications so that it is adapting to these new methodologies and perspectives.

We are stronger when we work together. SAA’s future success also lies in collaboration. Building a supportive network through strategic partnerships and leveraging existing ones can help SAA meet the DEI goals it has set in its strategic plan and overcome the challenges that may, and surely will, arise. In our field it is often recommended to not “reinvent the wheel,” so why should DEI work be any different? There are many institutions and organizations out there doing innovative and meaningful work in this area and those are the ones SAA should be reaching out to. By collaborating with these groups, SAA can obtain authentic mentors and partners who can guide the organization and help it to build trust among its members, partners, and potential funders.

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