By Susan C. Ryan, Executive Vice President of the Crow Canyon Research Institute
As a child growing up in Greely, Colorado, Jesse Logan Nusbaum often visited the home of Dr. G. Law, the town physician, where he admired the vast library. One book in particular captured Nusbaum’s imagination, a monograph of Gustaf Nordenskiold’s excavations in what is now Mesa Verde National Park. The book, perched on a fancy parlor table, was displayed with pride. Nusbaum noted, “Mrs. Law wouldn’t let me pick it up or take it. She would lay it out and lay it on a blanket on the carpet on the floor and lay it open.”
Nordenskiold’s book ignited Nusbaum’s childhood passion for ancient civilizations and further guided his interest in pursuing archaeology as a career. Joining Egar Lee Hewett’s survey team in 1907 as a photographer, Nusbaum spent two seasons learning how to document archaeological sites in southwestern Colorado not far from Mesa Verde National Park. Following an apprenticeship with Neil Judd at the U.S. National Museum (located in the original Smithsonian “Castle” building), Nusbaum was appointed as the first official archaeologist of Mesa Verde National Park.
During his time as park archaeologist, Nusbaum was responsible for overseeing excavations, preserving sites, and ensuring archaeological work was thoroughly documented. He helped organize the Park’s archaeological programs and worked alongside other archaeologists and officials to better understand and protect Mesa Verde’s cultural and natural heritage. He also played a critical role in the development of the Park’s public education programming. Nusbaum’s hard work paid off when he was promoted to Park Superintendent in 1921.
As Superintendent, one of Nusbaum’s priorities was to develop a museum to better manage its cultural resources and to engage and educate visitors. Following a surprise visit from John D. Rockefeller in 1924, Nusbaum was provided with funds to complete construction on a new building and purchase exhibit cases. While praised by Stephen Mather, the first National Park Service director, for his forward-thinking initiatives, Nusbaum’s decisions, particularly those pertaining to the development of a park museum, were not without controversy.
Since the late 1800s, the Smithsonian Institution had a well-established track record as the sole repository for all belongings excavated from public lands. The 1906 ratification of the Antiquities Act only furthered their standing as a national repository for items collected from federal lands, including the newly established Mesa Verde National Park, created by an act of Congress in the same year.
In the early 1900s, the mission of park museums diverged from that of the Smithsonian in that they were tasked with increasing the number of visitors and providing public education, whereas the Smithsonian promoted scientific research. The archaeologists holding federal permits to conduct excavation projects within the Park’s boundaries didn’t have the authority to keep collections on site much less display them. With the intention of bolstering the Park’s displays, Nusbaum began inquiring about the feasibility of obtaining Mesa Verde’s collections already housed at the Smithsonian. When Smithsonian archaeologist (and former supervisor to Nusbaum), Neil Judd got word of Nusbaum’s request, he stated, “There can be but one official depository, but specimens from that depository might be loaned to other federal departments to assist them in performing their several functions, as, in the case of the Interior Department, the entertainment of visitors to national parks.” Nusbaum, now promoted to a dual position as Chief Archaeologist of the National Park Service and Supervisory Archaeologist of the Department of the Interior, was not amused by Judd’s statement that public education was a form of “entertainment” and argued the museum at Mesa Verde and, by extension, all national park museums, were authorized government repositories. Despite his stature in the government sector, Nusbaum failed to convince his Smithsonian colleagues. He then argued for the creation of park repositories based on the Antiquities Act.
Section 3 of the Antiquities Act states, “That the examinations, excavations, and gatherings are undertaken for the benefit of reputable museums, universities, colleges, or other recognized scientific or educational institutions, with a view to increasing the knowledge of such objects, and that the gathering shall be made for permanent preservation in public museums.” Drawing from this, Nusbaum noted park museums, such as the one at Mesa Verde, are national depositories dedicated to the preservation of the history and culture of the area in which they are located and increase knowledge of the belongings within them.
Nusbaum’s position, based on the Antiquities Act, was affirmed by Walter Hough, head curator of anthropology at the Smithsonian, noting the Act didn’t specify artifacts should be deposited in a national depository and certainly not one located in Washington D.C. As a result, Nusbaum was granted permission to obtain, curate, and display belongings from sites within Mesa Verde National Park.
With continued protests and, at times, aggressive campaigns against the parks throughout the 1920s, Smithsonian scientists continued to argue for the legal rights to all materials collected from federal lands. Despite this, parks continued to exercise their sovereignty and formed their own museums and collections. The ripple effects were tremendous as park museums became locations not only for public education initiatives but scientific research hubs outside of the national repository.
As a result of Nusbaum’s tenacious efforts, archaeological research expanded outside of the nation’s capital, and understanding of ancestral cultures vastly increased, so too did awareness of our shared humanity and identity as a growing nation. Ironically, little did Mrs. Law know her stern book etiquette and proprietary confinement of knowledge served to train young Jesse to fight as David against the Smithsonian’s Goliath decades later.
Fast forward to the 21st century.
It was not uncommon for 20th century museums to portray Indigenous peoples from a Western scientific viewpoint and in ways that marginalized, degraded, or misrepresented cultures. Including Indigenous voices and perspectives allows museums in the 21st century to challenge and correct non-dominant narratives, offering a more balanced and holistic understanding of our shared humanity. Museums that co-create content and curation practices with Indigenous partners demonstrate a commitment to engage with complex histories and respect the sovereign rights, opinions, and dignities of Indigenous peoples.
For additional information on this topic, please see Dr. Woody Aguilar’s Crow Canyon Archaeological Center Discover Archaeology Webinar Series presentation, Indigenizing Archaeology and Museums and Dr. Amy Lonetree’s book, Decolonizing Museums: Representing Native America in National and Tribal Museums, published by The University of North Carolina Press.