Hartman H. Lomawaima (November 11, 1949 – July 8, 2008) was a

Hopi The Hopi are Native Americans who primarily live in northeastern Arizona. The majority are enrolled in the Hopi Tribe of Arizona and live on the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona; however, some Hopi people are enrolled in the Colorado ...

museum director. He served as the fifth director of the

Arizona State Museum The Arizona State Museum (ASM), founded in 1893, was originally a repository for the collection and protection of archaeological resources. Today, however, ASM stores artifacts, exhibits them and provides education and research opportunities. I ...

, and was the first Native American to hold the position. He also was the first Native American to hold a position as director of a state agency in

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

, and was on the board of trustees for the Smithsonian's

National Museum of the American Indian The National Museum of the American Indian is a museum in the United States devoted to the culture of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. It is part of the Smithsonian Institution group of museums and research centers. The museum has three ...

in Washington, D.C. Lomawaima was a

born in the village of Supawlavi on

Second Mesa Second Mesa is a census-designated place (CDP) in Navajo County, Arizona, on the Hopi Reservation, atop the 5,700-foot (1,740 m) mesa. As of the 2020 census, the CDP population was 843, spread among three Hopi Indian villages, Musungnuvi (or M ...

. He graduated from

Northern Arizona University Northern Arizona University (NAU) is a public research university based in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1899, it was the third and final university established in the Arizona Territory. It is one of the three universities gove ...

, and did his graduate work at

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

. Lomawaima first job was as a senior administrative officer at the Hearst Museum of Anthropology,

University of California at Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after the Anglo-Irish philosopher George Berkele ...

. He and his wife, Tsianina Lomawaima, subsequently moved to the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...

, where he taught. In 1984, Lomawaima became the associate director at the Arizona State Museum, and professor of

American Indian studies Native American studies (also known as American Indian, Indigenous American, Aboriginal, Native, or First Nations studies) is an interdisciplinary academic field that examines the history, culture, politics, issues, spirituality, sociology and co ...

at the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it ...

. He was appointed interim director of the museum in 2002 upon the resignation of the previous director and became the permanent director in 2004.

External links

* accessed July 11, 2008
Brosseau, Carli (July 10, 2008) "AZ museum director Lomawaima dies" ''Tucson Citizen''
accessed July 11, 2008
Arizona State Museum Website (July 10, 2008)

Allen, Lee (July 21, 2008) "Holy Road: Native cultural icon Hartman Lomawaima dies at 58" ''Indian Country Today''
accessed July 28, 2008 {{DEFAULTSORT:Lomawaima, Hartman H. 1949 births 2008 deaths Directors of museums in the United States Northern Arizona University alumni Harvard University alumni University of Washington faculty University of Arizona faculty People from Navajo County, Arizona Hopi people 20th-century Native American people 21st-century Native American people University of California, Berkeley faculty Native American people from Arizona