Southwest Museum Report: The Autry Makes Its Case
Autry Chairman Marshall McKay spoke during yesterday's Los Angeles City Council Meeting, laying out how the Autry's expansion of the Griffith Park museum space would benefit Los Angeles.
Tuesday's Los Angeles City Council meeting saw a long line of Highland Park and Mount Washington residents express their concerns over the Autry National Center's proposal to use $6.9 million in California’s Prop. 84 Nature Education Facilities (NEF) Program funds to renovate and expand their Griffith Park museum space.
Among the several people to defend the merits of the project was Marshall McKay, the chairman of the Autry's board of trustees and the chairman of the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation.
Below is a transcription of McKay's comments made during yesterday's city council meeting.
Here are the facts about the project funded by the $6.6 million in [California’s Prop. 84] Nature Education Facilities (NEF) Program, designed to support the significant projects which advance the environmental education for this state. This is one of the competitive grants that our application was fairly considered as one of the applicants. Our application was endorsed in writing by the state legislators Carol Liu (D-La Cañada-Flintridge), Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles), and speaker [Mike] Perez (D-Los Angeles). Our project takes places entirely within the existing footprint of the Autry building in Griffith Park, provides for the renovation and re-installation of two existing galleries and one existing garden as well as work on restrooms and hallways.
This project will highlight history and culture of native peoples and include two dedicated California galleries, with teaching gardens highlighting the ecosystems people lived in for generations as stewards of the land and its resources.
This project will will provide the 50,000 children from LAUSD who come to the Autry every year the opportunity to learn about my people, about our shared history and about how native vision has integrated indigenous values, life ways and natural environments. This project also will showcase less than one percent of the objects of the Southwest Museum's collection; many of these artifacts have never had public display.
The Autry is proud to be selected among other Los Angeles institutions including the Natural History Museum and the California Science Center to receive these funds to bring new educational opportunities to Los Angeles, its children and its visitors, enabling all of us to learn about our shared history and shared opportunity to preserve our fragile natural resources.
Rob Schraff
11:34 am on Wednesday, June 1, 2011
I agree with Marshall McKay's statement on behalf the children of Los Angeles, the Native Americans who have for so long been steadfast in support of the Southwest Museum's collection, and the Autry National Center.
Despite the rhetoric of the “Friends” of the Southwest Museum Coalition and its “Steering Committee,” the Autry has so far fulfilled every commitment they have made to the Northeast Los Angeles community. There is also no question that the Autry has earned the accolades it has received from professional museum curators, historians and, most importantly, the Native American community for restoring the Southwest Museum collection, which was simply in disastrous shape. Where were the “Friends” of the Southwest Museum for the 15 or 20 years when it was well known in the community that the collection was seriously threatened? Indeed, all that the “Friends” escalating and ever-changing demands have accomplished to date is forcing the Autry to buy a building in Burbank, and not build in Griffith Park. (Which, of course, suits the “Friends” NIMBY Loz Feliz financial supporters just fine.)
Rob Schraff
11:38 am on Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Further, threats of boycotts and lawsuits made over the weekend by the “Friends” and Dan Wright, which will not be supported by the community, are just a continuation of a long string of empty scare tactics and even racist rhetoric by the “Friends.” These range from formal accusations of “Enron-scale” criminal accounting malpractice, to claiming the “the tribes” want to build a casino in Mt. Washington, to comparing the acquisition of the collection by the Autry – with, I remind you, the overwhelming support of the Native American community – to the genocide of the Cherokee Nation on the “trail of tears.” Even councilmember Huizar has been accused of being corrupt by these so-called “Friends.” (And in case you missed them, here are the Autry’s “illegal and secret expansion plans” -http://www.laparks.org/commissionerhtm/pdf2011/may20/11-129.pdf)
Rob Schraff
11:40 am on Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Finally, I find the “Friends” newfound commitment to openness remarkable. As president of one of this “coalition’s” founding member organizations, I can tell you the “Friends” have long since stopped holding open community meetings, and that the “steering committee” that seems to be in charge is completely lacking in transparency, including basic information about committee members and their backgrounds. Who are these “Friends?” Who still supports them? Most curiously, why is one of the “Friends” major goals a huge development on the Arroyo Seco’s most historic ridgeline, which would actually destroy the Southwest Museum’s historic campus? (see http://www.friendsofthesouthwestmuseum.com/vision.html)
Rob Schraff
11:44 am on Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Just in case you want to know who I am -
I have lived on Eldred Street for more than 20 years, making me a close neighbor to the Southwest Museum. I was a member of the Southwest Museum for more than a decade prior to the 2003 merger with the Autry, and I was married there in 1995. I am also a history Ph.D. student at UCLA, where I am working on the California mission system. I currently serve as president of the Mt. Washington Association.
For me and I believe the large majority of the community, it all comes down to the collection. The “Friends” clearly believe the collection belongs to Mt. Washington and its “theft” deserves every bit of the venom they have indulged in over the last seven years. I believe the collection belongs to the world, the cultures that created these wonder-producing objects, and the peoples of Los Angeles. These stakeholders have been well-served by the diligence, expertise and funding of the Autry.
Robert Brody
10:05 am on Wednesday, June 8, 2011
I do not agree with the position that the Autry has complied with the agreement to keep the Southwest Museun viable and open. The proof are the actions of the Autry. The Autry has moved forward with their plans for the collection with complete disregard for the local community, the cities historical landmark building and the agreemnet the Autry signed that enabled it to take possession of the collection.
The Autry moved forward to otain the grant ignoring the fact they broke the agreement.
The grant should go to a legitimate applicant that has the legal right to their collections.
Allowing the Autry to proceed with the grant makes a mokery out the agreement that allowed the collection to be under the control of the Autry.
The Autry should be held responsible to uphold the agreement or lose the collection.
Kay Brown
12:59 pm on Wednesday, June 8, 2011
I think the Autry is treating the Southwest Museum as a cash cow. They pocketed over $6 million in financial assets when they took over the Southwest Museum and then closed it.
As I see this, it is the cowboys pillage of priceless Native American artifacts, history and self-documentation of a heritage for a buck. This keeps the public unaware of the Native American role and contribution to the history and future of the southwest that the Southwest Museum honored. We have a lot to learn from how they governed themselves, their relationship to the land, and their many valuable observations not made solely for monetary purposes.
Without commitment to its original legal obligations the Autry may risk losing the Southwest Museum as well as community support.
Rob Schraff
5:58 pm on Wednesday, June 8, 2011
This use of frankly ridiculous "cowboys and indians" rhetoric, ridiculous because Native Americans continue to overwhelmingly support the Autry both financially and politically, is all-to typical. And how much has the Autry spent conserving and restoring the collection, repairing the roof and building, and keeping the facility open as a a desperately needed triage, conservation and storage facility? Much more than $6-Million that was in the SWM accounts.
So yes, we should learn from the Native Americans. We should also learn from the "Friends'" relentless rhetoric and self-promotion, particularly their plans to pave the most historic ridgeline in the arroyo, see friendsofthesouthwestmuseum.com. Olga Hall also provides significant insight into the "Friends" "Steering Committee" and their rhetoric and tactics at http://www.theeastsiderla.com/2011/05/city-council-to-review-autry-museum-expansion/. One should also view the "Friends" further attacks on the Autry at Autrylies.com and the Autry Lies youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/AutryLies. And for more learning, look for indian casino, condominium development and "trial of tears" references on the Yahoo! group nelalist (or just search Olga Hall, Scott Rubel and Dan Wright) and see how the "Friends"have been pursuing their relentless line of innuendo, personal attack and anti-Native American propaganda for years now.