Museum of Plains Indian needs adequate funds

Editor,

The Museum of the Plains Indian in Browning is an important cultural treasure for all of Montana. Its funding at an adequate level must be a priority. As the future of the Indian Arts and Crafts Board is unclear, it would be best to fund the Museum as an independent institute supervised by the Blackfeet Tribe in cooperation with interested parties, including the University of Montana, the Hockaday Museum of Arts in Kalispell, the Ulm Pishkun Association and other preservation organizations.

Speed is important in this matter, as the 0ctober 2007 date of the ending of current funding is rapidly approaching.

It is important that adequate funding is found to insure that the museum will remain vibrant and able to curate an online exhibit to increase awareness.

Visitation of the Museum may seem insignificant by East Coast standards, but not in terms of its being an important Montana tourist attraction.

Funds set aside for Native American Education and awareness can certainly be applied to the preservation of this cultural collection. Montanans have seen many of our treasures leave this state, and I for one feel strongly that this collection needs to stay where those who donated it intended to be

Donald Baughman

Somers