Nanticoke Indian Museum hires Therese Avedillo as curator

The Nanticoke Indian Museum has announced the hiring of Therese Avedillo as the museum’s new curator. She took over in February.

“Therese possesses exceptional skills and has successfully integrated into our community,” said Chief Avery Johnson. “Our community has embraced her wholeheartedly, and we consider it an honor to have an individual of her expertise and professionalism contributing to our historical museum.”

Located at the corner of Route 24 and Oak Orchard Road, the museum opened in 1984 and is the only Native American museum in the state. The museum has about 2,400 square feet of indoor exhibition space, featuring a collection of about 4,000 artifacts. The museum’s 2-acre grounds regularly host community events. The museum is housed in what used to be a segregated Indian school and is listed as a National Historic Landmark.

Avedillo has a television production background, but has worked and volunteered in museums in California, western New York and London, England. She grew up in South Africa and pursued a master’s degree in museum studies at the University of Leicester.

The museum is about to undergo big changes, and it’s an exciting opportunity, said Avedillo, referencing a two-phase museum project that is expected to begin by the end of the year.

Bringing in a view from the outside while still being very respectful of traditions can be a good thing, said Avedillo. A lot of what she’s learned over the years can be integrated into museum operations and collection displays, she said.

The first phase of the project involves restoring and renovating the existing museum facilities. The second phase will include an addition that will feature a welcome center, library, gift shop, exhibition space and a small theater.

“We aim to enhance the museum's capabilities by expanding our exhibitions, educational programs and cultural displays to better serve the community and foster a deeper understanding of Indigenous heritage,” said Johnson.

Much of Avedillo’s initial work will be making sure the museum’s artifacts are properly documented and then stored correctly during the project. Preparing for the move will take several months because everything has to be documented, she said.

Further into the future, Avedillo will focus on bringing the museum to a wider audience. 

It will be very important to preserve what is here and to really put the Nanticoke Indian Association to the forefront, said Avedillo. The goal is to carry on traditions, with a broader audience in mind, she said.

The building’s history as a segregated school is interesting to Avedillo. There are still many people in the community who can remember going to school here and there’s a desire to preserve that history too, she said.

For more information on the Nanticoke Indian Museum, go to nanticokeindians.org, call 302-945-7022 or email info@nanticokeindians.org.