RMSC Announces Free Admission for Tribal Citizens

Dec 9, 2024

The RMSC began offering free admission to the Museum & Science Center, Cumming Nature Center, and Star Shows at the Strasenburgh Planetarium for enrolled members of federally and state-recognized tribes and nations, including First Nations.

The rollout of this commitment coincides with the opening of Hodinöšyö:nih Continuity | Innovation | Resilience. We hope this opportunity will help Indigenous communities experience the exhibition and reconnect with ancestral objects in the way that curator Jamie Jacobs (Tonawanda Seneca, Turtle Clan) and the featured artists have presented and intended it.

As has been true of many museums in the United States that have longstanding exhibits and collections of Native American cultural items, RMSC’s historical practices have harmed Indigenous communities. Through the excavation, collection, study, and display of Native American ancestors and their belongings, we have played a role in denying Native rights to dignity and self-determination. RMSC standards for the acquisition, care, and presentation of collections have prioritized the perspectives of outsiders, contributing to the injustices experienced by Indigenous Peoples.

The RMSC recognizes and apologizes for the trauma we have caused and is committed to the creation of a more just future. This commitment to repairing harm and building relationships begins with greater awareness and understanding. In conjunction with the RMSC staff, the Board of Trustees is dedicated to listening carefully, implementing feedback, correcting stereotypes and misinformation, and cultivating partnerships rooted in transparency and equity. Education through consultation and collaboration has led to new commitments in how we engage with, credit, serve, and support Indigenous communities.

In addition to our obligations under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the RMSC commits to:

Flying the flag of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy wherever the flag of New York State or the United States appears on its campus in recognition of our presence on the land “secured in the peaceful possession” of the Seneca Nation by the 1784 Treaty of Fort Stanwix.
Building relationships with Indigenous people and communities through ongoing free admission for tribal citizens.
Prioritizing efforts to achieve Indigenous representation on the Board by June 2025.
Centering, elevating, and supporting Indigenous people through our exhibitions, collections stewardship, programs, and practices.
Partnering with Indigenous vendors, organizations, artists, and knowledge keepers on terms that benefit their communities economically and socially.