OKMULGEE, Okla- The Muscogee (Creek) Nation Council House Museum is in the process of crating and storing their collections for a future move to the planned 2026 Muscogee (Creek) Nation Welcome and Visitor Center in Okmulgee.
Purchased from the Creek Council House Museum Association in 2013, the collection has been in the same remote location awaiting a permanent home. The collection includes paintings, photographs, manuscripts, textiles, baskets, and furniture. In addition, the collection also includes items donated to the department or purchased. “The goal in packing and rehousing these items with this high-level of attention and care is so Mvskoke people can enjoy and learn from these collections into the future.” ShaVon Agee, Program Manager at the Cultural Center and Archives.
With the adoption of NCA 25-006, which passed this January, the MCN Cultural Center and Archives Department was able to enter into a contract with ItsimiVee, LLC, a museum and cultural services company. The $437,366 appropriation will allow the ItsimiVee team to finish the work they’ve been doing since 2023 of packing and crating the collections.
ShaVon Agee, Program Manager at the Cultural Center and Archives explained the need to properly crate the items and the detailed process involved.
“All cultural materials are being carefully assessed to determine the degree of care required to prepare and pack the items in advance of the move to Okmulgee,” Agee said. “Shipping crates and supportive packing features are all custom built and fabricated to ensure stable and safe transfer of the collections throughout the course of the move and rehousing project.”
The detailed process begins with accessing the condition of the items and designing a specially built museum quality mount or tray to protect and securely support them. After the support or mount is built and the item installed, then additional protective material is placed and a crate designed. The crate is built to specific measurements by crate builders off site to avoid dust and damage to the collection. After the items are packed and crated, a detailed catalog of the crate is made.
“Every item we pack and crate is customized for that item, so the process takes time,” Agee explained. “We also prioritize careful item handling to ensure that items are not damaged.”
Veronica Pipestem (Otoe-Missouria/Osage), who owns and operates ItsimiVee, has had years of experience working with the Council House collection already in her role previously as collections manager. The team includes Naomi Franklin (Cherokee descent), Nancy Lowe (Choctaw), and Lauren Hobbs (Cherokee) and has over 50-years experience combined in archive and museum collections management and care.
During the Jan. 14 Land, Natural Resources, and Cultural Preservation Committee Pipestem explained in a pre-recorded video the process the team takes and the need for a longer term budget. Pipestem explained that backordered supplies can create work stoppage that could be filled with other duties.
“We are asking for a longer-term project budget because of the nature of some of the archival supplies, for example the cost of Medex, an archival grade of lumber that we use. Sometimes they’re back ordered for six to eight weeks and to be a good partner to Muscogee Nation, and to get done what we say will get done, if something like this takes 6 weeks to get here, we might not get the packing done with a month long contract. The need for a longer term contract is essential for this work that we do because of the nature of the supplies and the way we can build in other activities while we’re waiting on supplies that are backordered.”
After properly being crated and stored, the collection will be permanently housed at the planned Welcome Center in Okmulgee. Legislation adopted in 2024, NCA 24-028, appropriated over $4M towards establishing the center. “The collections space at the Welcome Center is being designed to not only meet museum storage-space preservation standards but also serve as a place that will allow greater access to these collections for Mvskoke citizens and researchers,” stated Agee.
“The construction documents and renderings are in the process of being completed. Construction of the Welcome Center is estimated to be completed Spring 2026.”
