Brought to you by Humanities Washington. Harbor History Museum is excited to welcome author Trevor Bond — he is traveling all the way from Pullman, WA to give this talk at our museum!

Belongings deeply important to tribal communities are often housed in museums far away from those communities. In this talk, hear the remarkable story of how the Nez Perce Tribe and their allies purchased the largest and oldest collection of Nez Perce material culture—including dresses, shirts, and other regalia—from a museum over 2,000 miles away from their homeland.  

In this hopeful story of cultural resiliency and making amends for past injustices, explore issues surrounding collection and curation, and the changing relationships between museums and Native communities. It’s a story that transcends the efforts of one Northwest tribe to show how many indigenous communities are reuniting with their heritage. 

Trevor James Bond is the director of the David G. Pollart Center for Arts and Humanities and the associate dean for digital initiatives and special collections at the Washington State University Libraries. He is the author of Coming Home to Nez Perce Country: The Niimiipuu Campaign to Repatriate Their Exploited Heritage, a finalist for the 2022 Washington State Book Award for non-fiction.

Humanities in the Harbor is held at Harbor History Museum, 4121 Harborview Drive, Gig Harbor, WA 98332 or via Zoom. Admission is FREE thanks to Humanities Washington! Humanities Washington sparks conversation and critical thinking using story as a catalyst, nurturing thoughtful and engaged communities across our state.

This talk is presented in partnership with The Thomas S. Foley Institute for Public Policy and Public Service, which educates citizens across the state about democratic institutions and public affairs, and is based at Washington State University.

This talk will be IN PERSON at the museum. To save your space, please RSVP to Robin Harrison, Operations and Marketing Manager at Harbor History Museum at operations@harborhistorymuseum.org.