About me
Laura Elliff Cruz (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) has 21 years of experience in the museum field specializing in preventive conservation care. She is currently the Head of Collections at the School for Advanced Research (SAR), Indian Arts Research Center (IARC) in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Laura works closely with source communities on collaborative and culturally appropriate indigenous collections care projects. Additionally, she is the Rematriation Lead for the Academy for the Love of Learning assisting part-time with ethical returns to indigenous communities. Laura was also a former teacher through Northern States Conservation Center’s online classes, and currently is adjunct faculty at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA). Previously, she oversaw a large move project at the Denver Art Museum for six years, is an expert in planning housing upgrades, and worked at the Center of Southwest Studies, Fort Lewis College. At SAR, Laura was a part of the Guidelines for Collaboration document creation, and since 2021, she has been a part of the Indigenous Collections Care (ICC) working group. Currently, she is the liaison with the ICC co-facilitators to help develop the ICC guide through the IMLS National Leadership Grant for Museums, which the School for Advanced Research received in 2023. Laura has a BA in Anthropology from Illinois State University, a graduate certificate in Museum Collections Management and Care from George Washington University, and an MA in American Studies from the University of New Mexico.
