Ethnographic Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Assistant Professor Native American Studies-Maxwell Museum
Posting Number
req34730
Employment Type
Faculty
Faculty Type
Tenure/Tenure-Track
Hiring Department
Native American Studies (616A)
Academic Location
College of Arts & Sciences
Campus
Main - Albuquerque, NM
Benefits Eligible
The University of New Mexico provides a comprehensive package of benefits including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance. In addition, UNM offers educational benefits through the tuition remission and dependent education programs. See the Benefits home page for more information.
Position Summary
The University of New Mexico invites applications for a probationary Tenure-Track position of Assistant Professor in the Department of Native American Studies and Curator of Historic and Contemporary Indigenous Collection in the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology. The candidate's Departmental duties include teaching courses per academic year in the Department of Native American Studies, mentoring and supervising undergraduate and graduate students, contributing to the undergraduate and graduate programs, and participating in Department service and governance. The candidate's Museum duties include overseeing curation, research, and development of Indigenous collections; participation in community collaborations and supporting the Museum's repatriation efforts; and participation in exhibition development, public programs, and service. The candidate's Tenure home will be in the Department of Native American Studies. This search is part of the College of Arts & Sciences cohort hiring on Native American/Indigenous scholarship. The link to the initiative is the following: https://artsci.unm.edu/college/hiring.html
About the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology
Located on the UNM campus, the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, is an exhibition, teaching, and collections unit with the mission of "working towards greater understandings of the fullness of human experiences in the Southwest and the world," and a vision to contribute to "reconciling injustices, restoring voices, and realizing community." The Museum works to serve this mission and vision through collaborative exhibitions, community-centered research and teaching, and educational programs for diverse audiences at and beyond UNM (including active K-12 educational programs), hosting more than 35,000 visitors per year. The professional staff of ca. 18 individuals includes collection curators; collection managers; exhibition, educational and public program staff; administrative staff, and a team of 4 individuals dedicated to repatriation under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and a policy of ethical returns.
The Museum collections of approximately 3 million objects, include archaeological and archival collections, osteological collections (including from a body donor program), and "ethnographic" collections of historic and contemporary Indigenous material culture. While collections are global in scope, its greatest strengths are in the Indigenous U.S. Southwest. Among the 20,000-plus objects in the "ethnographic" collections, particular strengths are in 19th-21st century Pueblo pottery; Diné, N'dee and Pueblo textiles, baskets, and jewelry; and Central American textiles.
About Native American Studies
The Department of Native American Studies (NAS) is an interdisciplinary academic department committed to Indigenous academic scholarship and research excellence. The department currently offers a doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.), master of arts (M.A.), bachelor of arts (B.A.), and a minor degree. NAS's goal is excellence in educating all students and the public about the Native experience of Indigenous peoples with significant attention given our complex history and intercultural heritage of New Mexico and the United States. A second goal is building a department that collaborates with Native communities and engages students in Native Nation/Indigenous community building.
UNM is the premier research university in New Mexico, is a Carnegie Highest Research Activity Institution. Our campus is located in the heart of Albuquerque, which has cultural, outdoor and recreational opportunities for everyone. Learn more about our city, our welcoming campus, and research opportunities at http://advance.unm.edu/why-abq/ and https://advance.unm.edu/why-unm/. For more information regarding the College of Arts and Science's ambitious hiring plan, including a list of departments that are hiring faculty members with shared interests, please see this page.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications:

• PhD in Native American Studies American Indian Studies, Indigenous Studies, Museum Studies, Anthropology, or related field by the start date of appointment;
• Demonstrated expertise in the material culture of Indigenous North America;
• Evidence of museum background and experience including one or more of the following: collection development and curation, exhibition development, knowledge and experience with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated expertise in the Indigenous cultures and material culture of the US Southwest
• Demonstrated research excellence as reflected in one or more of the following:active and ongoing field or collections-based research, peer reviewed publications, external research funding, using Indigenous-based, community-based, quantitative, or qualitative methods;
• Demonstrated expertise in one or more of the following: cultural heritage theory and practice; community collaboration; Indigenous ontologies; decolonial theory and practice;
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to the Native American Studies Undergraduate and Graduate programs; and mentor diverse students at the undergraduate and/or graduate levels;
• Demonstrated experience and commitment to teaching excellence at graduate and undergraduate levels;
• Demonstrated commitment to the contributions of university museums to research, teaching, and community engagement;
• Experience with and demonstrated commitment to public engagement and community-based scholarship, including but not limited to a record of collaborating with Native American communities; ability or potential for building relationships with Indigenous communities and department faculty to engage in collaborative research, teaching, and/or service projects as identified in the Statement of Commitment to Indigenous communities;
• A demonstrated commitment to cultivate an understanding of the rich and varied cultures of New Mexico and to the success of the university's mission to serve local and global communities.

Application Instructions
Only applications submitted through the official UNMJobs site will be accepted. If you are viewing this job advertisement on a 3rd party site, please visit UNMJobs to submit an application.
For best consideration, all required application materials must be received by November 21, 2025. We will only consider complete applications. The position will remain open until filled. Inquiries about the position should be directed to the search committee chair and Maxwell Museum Director Carla Sinopoli (csinopoli@unm.edu) or Native American Studies Department Chair Lloyd L. Lee (triplel@unm.edu). Inquiries about the online application process can be directed to the Search Coordinator Delia Halona (deliak@unm.edu). Applicants should pay extra attention to the "Special Instructions to Applicants," which detail all of the required elements that must accompany the application. A complete application consists of a cover letter describing the applicant's qualifications as they relate to the minimum and preferred criteria (e.g., research agenda, teaching ability, museum experience, commitment to success of diverse students, etc.); a current curriculum vitae (please include email address and telephone number); one (1) or two (2) samples of scholarly writing, which should be sole- or lead-authored (if you select 2 samples, submit this as one PDF document); one-page Statement of Commitment to Indigenous Communities demonstrating applicant's experience working with Indigenous peoples and commitment to continuing to work with Native communities; and three names of references.
Applicants who are appointed to a UNM faculty position are required to provide an official certification of successful completion of all degree requirements prior to their initial employment with UNM.
For Best Consideration
For best consideration, please apply by 11/21/2025. This position will remain open until filled.
The University of New Mexico is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class.