Anthropology Collections Manager
Gantz Family Collections Center
Michelle Brownlee (Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe) is the Collections Manager for the Field Museum’s Native North American Ethnographic and Archaeological Collections. In addition to this work, Michelle was also a part of the Native Truths Renovation Project, the IMLS Bead Stabilization Project, Native American Heritage Month Programming, and is an elected member of the Field Museum’s Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion Staff Council. Her work focuses on preserving and providing access to the Native American cultural material currently cared for by the Field Museum. Prior to joining the Field Museum’s Collections Management team, Michelle received her B.A. in Anthropology and Native American and Indigenous Studies with a minor in Biology from the University of Minnesota, Morris.
Education and Work
B.A. in Anthropology and Native American and Indigenous Studies - University of Minnesota, Morris (2018)
Accomplishments
M. Brownlee, D. Cook, V. Haverkamp, V. Burley, & S. Odegard, 'Students Say #NoDAPL: Water & Land Protection at Standing Rock.' Native American Literature Symposium, Prior Lake, MN. 2017.
M. Brownlee, K. Hillson, E. Starck, 'Correspondence-Driven Collaboration for Respectful Collections Care', Association of Tribal Archives. Libraries, and Museums Conference, Temecula, CA. 2018.
M. Brownlee, J.K. Good Bear, 'Indigenous Language Representations at the Field Museum', Meet a Museum Insider, Chicago, IL. 2019.
M. Brownlee, 'Storage Mounts at the Field Museum', Preservation of Tribal Cultural Materials in Tribal Collections, University of California-Los Angeles CCLE online course. 2020.