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Biography for Gwen Yeaman, Native
Appraisal, LLC
Gwen Yeaman credits having a foot in both the European
and the Woodland Indian Culture as her source for holistic understanding
and professional success. “This perspective has allowed me to assist in
bringing together the needs of both cultures for nearly 20 years and has
served in many capacities.” Gwen retains her ethical credibility and
integrity as an “independent” professional appraiser.
In her teens she began
researching and documenting 20,000 years of basket, textile history, tool
technology, plant utilization, and Native lifeways. She found that all things
lead her back to Mother Earth for the only true answers. Out of this came a
15-year lecture circuit, teaching to the tribes, serving many years as Adjunct
Professor of Native American Religion and Philosophy at the university level
and teaching appropriate versions of it to historians and scholars. She
continues her consulting to tribes, museums, departments of education on a
local, state and national level, she has published in public arenas, scholarly
journals, trade and commercial venues, and continues to produce educational and
interpretive materials for museums, private and public institutions, cultural
organizations, and exhibition installations.
For years Gwen created one-of-a-kind museum quality
examples of Native Material Culture for educational museums around the country.
She serves as a consultant on boards and panels as a subject specialist on
culture and lifeways for clients such as State Arts Commissions, A&E, The
History Channel, State Arts and Government Advisory Boards, and for the Federal
Government. She has been Associate Producer for Native Sun Productions on the
History Channel and Executive Director for a PBS documentary. She is a Special
Projects Designer and Director, Grant Writer for institutions, the past Manager
of Educational Public Programming for the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians
and Western Art, and continues to perform as both Juror and Judge for high end
Art Markets and Exhibitions across the country. She is honored to return again
to judge both of the largest, oldest Indian Markets in the world, SWAIA
Indian Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico and also Indian Market at the Eiteljorg
Museum of American Indians and Western Art in Indianapolis, IN.
The most challenging and rewarding application of
her specialization and expertise is as a Professional Accredited Appraiser of
“Native American Collections, North American Materials, and American Indian
Art.” She is the only appraiser of Native Ancestry coming from a cultural base,
and she has completed the coursework of both The American Society of Appraisers
and the International Society of Appraisers. Gwen’s focus has been on early
Native American collections housed in Europe and Mexico and she has also worked
with their governmental institutions. She works with tribes and museums across
the country and also serves as a facilitator and liaison for their missions.
She has a very unique relationship as both Appraiser and Native Consultant in
these areas of expertise working with the Department of the Interior and the
BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs), and U.S. Customs. Gwen continues to pursue her
work with NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act) and ARPA (Archaeological Resource Protection
Act), teaching at the National ARPA Conference to those involved on both sides
of the issue. In addition she pursues case precedence studies and applications,
and expert witnessing as it pertains to Native Affairs and Culture.
Gwen can be reached at: gwen@nativeappraisals.com or
through her website at www.nativeappraisals.com
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