Free audio visual presentations by Harvard Museum Curator this week

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Jean P. Haydon Museum Board and friends of the Museum will be meeting with a professional museum curator this week. Dr. Ingrid Ahlgren is the Curator of Oceania at the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

According to the museum statement, her online biography notes that she studies the intersections of Pacific identity, environment, sacred beliefs, and material culture.

Previously, she conducted research at the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of National History.

She also led an assessment of the impact of the Smithsonian’s Recovering Voices Community Research Program, which enables Indigenous communities to conduct museum-based research to save, document, and resurrect their languages, cultures, and knowledge systems.

“Dr. Ahlgren will be visiting Independent Samoa for a few days first before arriving here. “She is tentatively scheduled to share a free audio visual presentation at the Jean P. Haydon Museum on Dec. 7, Wednesday afternoon and a second free presentation would also be given at the Am. Samoa Community College Lecture Hall on Thursday afternoon.”

The presentations will be free and open to the public, advance notice to Coordinator James Himphill at 633-4848 or 699-6848 would be appreciated, as space may be limited.

“Ahlgren's online Harvard biography notes that she grew up in the Marshall Islands and is familiar with Pacific Island lifestyles.

“Initial communications with Am. Samoa's Museum community mentioned that she is also interested in meeting any descendants or relatives of historical Samoan Ali'i Iosefo Mataafa and Tuimanu'a Elisara.

“The Peabody Museum apparently holds artifacts from these High Chiefs that can be studied and enlivened. Dr. Ahlgren will therefore have time to meet with interested individuals this week and the weekend before leaving.”