Born: 1954, United States
Died: NA
Country most active: United States
Also known as: Virginia Maria Salazar
The following is republished from the National Park Service. This piece falls under under public domain, as copyright does not apply to “any work of the U.S. Government” where “a work prepared by an officer or employee of the U.S. Government as part of that person’s official duties” (See, 17 U.S.C. §§ 101, 105).
• Born Virginia Maria Salazar in September 1954 at Espanola, NM near Santa Clara Pueblo.
• Worked as an interpretive aide at the NPS Southwest Regional Office while in college.
• Earned a B.A. in anthropology from New Mexico State University in 1977.
• Hired as a part-time GS-5 park technician at Bandelier NM in 1977, giving programs and guided walks and organizing cultural demonstrations.
• Joined the NPS Intake Trainee Program in 1978.
• Hired as a permanent curator at Bandelier, a position she held for 12 years.
• Earned her graduate degree through the Native American M.A. program at the School of American Research in Santa Fe, NM.
• In 1989, became regional curator for the Southwest Region, and the first Native American regional curator in the NPS.
• Over the next 15 years, was the regional curator for the Intermountain Region, Santa Fe Support Office and then the Intermountain Region.
• Led the region’s implementation of the Native American Graves Protection & Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).
• Began national dialogues with tribes regarding museum object contamination from pesticides.
• Spearheaded the regions first comprehensive museum collection storage facilities strategy.
• Married Otis Halfmoon in c. 2002.
• In 2005, became the manager for the NPS Vanishing Treasures Program.
• Retired December 29, 2012 after 37 years of service.