Biography

Rachel Moore is a member of the Hopi Tribe in Arizona but calls Albuquerque, New Mexico, her home. She received a BA in anthropology with an emphasis in archaeology and minor in visual arts from Brigham Young University in Provo in 2014. During her undergraduate work she worked in archives and collections at the local anthropology museum where she developed a love and passion for museum work and saw that bridges need to be built between archaeology, museums, and Indigenous people such as herself. She went on to obtain a MA in museum studies at Arizona State University, graduating in 2016. Much of her graduate work was tailored towards Indigenous collections management and material agency. Shortly after graduating, Rachel was able to return to Albuquerque where she spent the next four years working for the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center as the curator of exhibitions. She built relationships with tribal community members and dug into the work of bringing Indigenous narratives to the forefront of work done by and in museums. Since 2018 Rachel has volunteered with the State of New Mexico conservation laboratory to gain experience in a broad spectrum of materials including bronze, granite, ceramics, and silver.  In 2021 Rachel will be a conservation intern with the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. before arriving at UCLA. She is eager to join the Cotsen Institute and bring Indigenous narratives and collaboration to the care and management of their cultural heritage.