Biography

Makayla Rawlins is from southern California and passionate about preserving cultural heritage and ensuring its representation in museums. She earned her BA in art history and biological anthropology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, with a minor in American Indian and Indigenous studies. Her interest in conservation began during her second year of college with an internship that involved photographing the entire campus collection. Next, she pursued a Conservation Internship for Broadening Access, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation at the National Museum of the American Indian. Here, she found her passion for community-based conservation and continued with a second internship as well as a paid, limited-term staff position. She worked on a loan to the Cherokee Nation Capitol Museum, as well as with the Collections Management Department on community engagement. Her time at the National Museum of the American Indian allowed her to work on objects such as a Cherokee wooden pottery stand, organic beaded necklaces, and a lacrosse ball. From this experience, she gained an understanding of the importance of background research prior to treatment and knowing the full context of what a conservator is handling. Recently, Makayla was able to participate in the UCLA/Mellon Opportunity for Diversity Workshop. During this, she was exposed to all areas of conservation, including paper, paintings, and textiles. Makayla was encouraged by many of the guest speakers to continue pursuing work with her own tribe and she looks forward to being a resource for them. Currently, she works for Native Land Digital as the volunteer coordinator and communications assistant. Native Land Digital is a Canadian not-for-profit organization focused on land acknowledgment and digital mapping of Indigenous lands around the world. Malayla is looking forward to working with more communities during her time at UCLA and continuing to help preserve their cultural heritage.