Who We Are

There are several reasons we began engaging in the practice of land acknowledgment at JCHS. The first was to offer recognition and respect to tribal communities and foster ongoing action and relationships. The second (and this one felt very salient for us as a history organization) was to consistently counter the common “doctrine of discovery” narrative and support larger truth telling initiatives about the legacy of colonization—the forced removal of Native peoples from their land, their continued fight to live on their ancestral lands, and their continued stewardship.

We believe that land acknowledgment practice is made meaningful within the context of ongoing relationships and dialogue with Native communities. The practice alone without deeper engagement with Native communities could potentially negate the intention. Thus, we worked with the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe to develop the language we currently use. We continue to partner with tribal communities on different projects and initiatives, always hoping to strengthen relationships.

Here are a few more resources we looked at in developing our statement:

• Honor Native Land: A Guide and Call to Acknowledgment (U.S. Department of Arts and Culture)
• Why Acknowledge the Land? (Puyallup Tribe of Indians)
• A Guide to Indigenous Land Acknowledgment (Native Governance Center)
• Beyond Territorial Acknowledgments (apihtawikosisan.com)

We’re always happy to talk more about any of these articles or concepts. We are committed to continued learning alongside our community.

We are committed to building and sustaining an inclusive community and addressing barriers to the full inclusion of historically underrepresented groups. Recognizing that multiple voices and perspectives enrich our work, we are dedicated to fostering an environment where differences are valued and respected, and where all members of our community are engaged participants in our mission.

We will do this by:

• • Expanding our interpretive and programmatic strategies. We are committed to welcoming and empowering multiple perspectives by actively seeking diverse viewpoints in the development and evaluation of our exhibitions and programs, and training staff and volunteers to fully participate in an inclusive interpretive strategy. This will enable JCHS to deliver exhibitions and programs that are inclusive, accessible, and responsive.
  • Building a diverse collection. All our museum experiences, and the work of many of our partners, are impacted by collections. JCHS will develop an inclusive collecting plan, which can include actively acquiring archives and objects representative of, or created by, underrepresented communities who contribute to and influence Jefferson County arts and heritage. By sharing collections, we will invite conversations with our visitors and build transparency about what we collect and why.
  • Embodying inclusivity within our internal culture. We commit to internal inclusive practices, policies, and behaviors to build a culture of mutual trust and respect. We strive to ensure that new and existing staff and volunteers feel welcomed, supported, and encouraged to express their identities in the workplace.

We are all learners and teachers. We believe in taking creative risks to surprise and delight visitors of all backgrounds with fun, engaging, and intriguing exhibitions and programs. We also believe that supporting curiosity leads to lifelong learning, and within our organization, creates a work environment that supports collaboration.

Sustainability is multifaceted. To be sustainable means we have compassion for this planet and all its inhabitants, and we will strive to continually examine how to minimize our footprint and give back. We also strive to remain modern and relevant in our practices, responsible with the resources we are given, financially transparent, efficient, and sustainable. By integrating our work with our passions, we will create a smart, coordinated, and supportive culture that values our staff and volunteers as leaders in the community.

We are driven by our mission and are committed to listening with purpose, sharing resources, stewarding community stories and collections, and being accountable to our community and stakeholders. Accountability means inviting our community behind the scenes to understand the process of interpreting and preserving history. Being community-centric means being responsive to community interests and needs, being transparent and ethical in our practices, and being authentic and honest in our relationships.

We strive to lead with these values in our community and in our professional practice. We commit to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in what we say and do. We acknowledge that our communities have been adversely affected by longstanding white-centered narratives and systems of privilege, which our organization has contributed to and allowed to persist through time.

We aim to dismantle barriers to engagement and representation by partnering, collaborating, consulting, and uplifting diverse voices in our decision-making processes, collections, research, exhibitions, and programs.

We are committed to the continual pursuit of learning about equity. We begin with racial equity but also aim to address accessibility to our work in income, gender identity, culture, language, ability, and any other forms of disenfranchisement that our community may experience.