Programs

Arctic Studies Center

In collaboration with Native peoples and arctic residents, the Arctic Studies Center (ASC) studies northern peoples, cultures and ecosystems throughout the circumpolar region, with special attention to archaeology, ethnography, and natural history. ASC programs have pioneered collaborative approaches to research and public programs.

Human Origins Program

The Human Origins Program investigates the long history of ecosystem responses to human pressures and vice versa. Museum researchers are piecing together the climatic and ecological conditions that allowed humans to evolve.

Recovering Voices

The Recovering Voices Program works with communities and organizations to support community-driven initiatives in indigenous language and knowledge sustainability. Program participants collaborate with museum staff to discover and explore relevant cultural, artistic, and language materials within the Smithsonian's vast collections.

Repatriation

Repatriation at the Museum is a collaborative process in which Museum staff work with tribal representatives to determine the disposition of human remains and cultural objects under the law.

The Summer Institute in Museum Anthropology (SIMA)

The Summer Institute in Museum Anthropology (SIMA) is an intensive four-week residential training program in museum research methods for graduate students in cultural anthropolgy. It uses the Smithsonian's anthropological resource as a "field site," giving students hands-on experience in collecting and analyzing data from collections in conjunction with formal training methods, all centered around individual research projects.