---
title: UMD Awarded $3.6M Mellon Foundation Grant to Advance Indigenous Archives
date: 2025-02-04T05:30:00-05:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/umd-awarded-3-6m-mellon-foundation-grant-to-advance-indigenous-archives"
section: Articles
---
# UMD Awarded $3.6M Mellon Foundation Grant to Advance Indigenous Archives

*February 4, 2025* — by [Laurie Robinson](/author/laurie-robinson), [Jessica Weiss ’05](/author/jessica-weiss-05)


> Project Will Develop Tools, Standards and Reparative Practices to Restore Indigenous Histories

*Scis 0016 0 1920x1080 — This 1900 image of the Carlisle Indian School football team includes one of Assistant Professor Shelbi Nahwilet Meissner's ancestors. She said this and the photo of her great-great-great grandmother Joaquina Nahwilet (image at bottom) is a rare example of good photo metadata; improving the tools in archival research is a primary goal of the new Indigenous archives project she's co-leading.*

Indigenous researchers often face significant barriers when seeking records of their communities: outdated catalog systems, inaccessible descriptions and limited access to materials of deep cultural and historical significance. The University of Maryland is taking a groundbreaking step to address these challenges with a new $3.6 million grant from the Mellon Foundation.

The project, led by Diana Marsh, assistant professor in the College of Information, and Shelbi Nahwilet Meissner, assistant professor in the College of Arts and Humanities and director of UMD’s Indigenous Futures Lab, will create systems that make it easier to find and access archival collections related to Indigenous knowledge. Over three years, the team will build tools and standards that respect Indigenous traditions and values, improve how archives are organized and help repair the way information is described.


*Diana Marsh headshot — Diana Marsh*


*Shelbi Nahwilet Meissner headshot — Shelbi Nahwilet Meissner*


*archival photo of Joaquina Nahwilet — Photo by Edward H. Davis/San Diego History Center*




**Topics:** [Research](https://today.umd.edu/tags/research)


**Tags:** [History](https://today.umd.edu/topic/history), [Research](https://today.umd.edu/topic/research), [Multicultural Community](https://today.umd.edu/topic/multicultural-community)


**Units:** [College of Arts and Humanities](https://today.umd.edu/topic/college-arts-and-humanities), [College of Information](https://today.umd.edu/topic/college-information-studies)