Amanda Fox 1/20/13

Internship Application Essay Since the National Museum of The American Indian opened I have wanted the opportunity to be a part of the internship program. When I began my studies at Northern Arizona University with a major of Applied Indigenous Studies it became clear that this internship would be a dream come true. It would not only be extremely helpfully with my academic field but hopefully in the future help me with my career in the museum field. I have always been interested in the history of Native Americans and how they have evolved throughout time and still remain a strong people today. Particularly of interest to me is the relation between different tribes and museum. With this internship I hope to accomplish many different things such as helping the general public understand more about Native American culture, history, and how they are still a thriving people today. I want to help people realize that Native peoples are not only part of history books but are a growing and thriving culture in todays modern world. Hopefully I can help people see this through hands on activities, tours or demonstrations. I have been a party of many different interships at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park for many years and a majority of my responsibilities were to help keepers with tours and different hands on activates. But i really want to start to get into internships that fit my interest in school and what i want to do in the future. My career goal is to someday work in the museum field. At this point in my

life Im not exactly sure in what detail but I feel that this internship could open my eyes to the different careers that are involved with museums. This internship will be a perfect starting point to help me build a resume for my future in this field. My interest in museums has always been a part of my life. Growing up in Washington D.C was wonderful because I have always had access to museums, so my love of them has been with me ever sense I was a child. After the Nation Museum of the American Indian opened my interests in the museum field and the field if Applied Indigenous Studies increased. After my first year at Northern Arizona University one of the classes that really interested me was AIS 232: Museums and American Indians. This class was an introduction to museum anthropology and the current developments in tribal and non-tribal museums. We paid special attention to the ideology of display and the politics of reputation. After this class I became extremely interested in how museums are run, and how they function. I hope that I could one day be a part of this process. I would love to be a part of the Cultural Interpreter part of the intership, which I feel that I could really excel in. When I was interning in the Invertebrates exhibit at the National Zoo I had direct experience in running hands on activities, tours and things of that nature. I love working with the public and sharing my interest in Native peoples. That is what drove me to pursue this program. What led me to apply for an Internship at the Nation Museum of the American Indian is how fondly and highly my professors spoke of the program. One teacher in particular, Dr. Lomayumtewa Curtis Ishii, often talks about how he enjoyed his time working with the museum. He recommended any student pursuing an internship to apply to the National Museum of the American Indian in particular. Still, my main reason for pursuing this internship is my own personal interest in the museum. I have always loved the National Museum of the American

Indian and my interest in the field of museums has only grown with my studies in the Applied Indigenous Studies Program. I hope to be accepted in this program and my love, respect and interest for this program are reflected in my experience and