Novato’s Museum of the American Indian to reopen

The site at Miwok Park is coming out of a four-year pandemic-related closure.

The Museum of the American Indian at Miwok Park in Novato is reopening following a four-year pandemic-related closure.

The Novato City Council approved a new joint operating agreement this month with the Marin Museum Society, the museum’s nonprofit arm, for a term of at least three years.

A reopening event is planned for 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, April 27, at Miwok Park at 2200 Novato Blvd.

“It’s not just a museum, it’s a living cultural center,” said Dean Hoaglin, the museum board president. “It’s been quite a road to get to the point where we found the opportunity to sit with city members and leaders and come to an understanding and reestablish the historical relationship that has been in place.”

“It’s quite historic that we get to continue this relationship, not only with the city but with the larger community, to be a beacon of hope on Indigenous history in Marin County,” Hoaglin said. “There is no other place like it here.”

The city and the Marin Museum Society have jointly managed the museum since its opening in 1968. The most recent agreement renewal was March 2017, extending the partnership through March 2022.

The museum hosts artistic, historical and cultural reproductions and exhibits for the Coast Miwok, the native people of the region. The museum also functions as an event space and offers educational services for the students and the public on Indigenous people.

The agreement balances out maintenance costs. The museum does not pay rent for the city-owned property.

The museum was closed in 2020 during the pandemic and went through various leadership changes, Hoaglin said. Outdoor murals were installed in 2021, but the doors to the museum have remained closed to the public.

The agreement between the city and the museum expired in 2022. The council approved the new agreement at its meeting on April 9.

Katie Gauntlett, director of parks, recreation and community services, said the new agreement demonstrated a public-private partnership that embraced collaboration and shared responsibility.

“The Museum is a treasured site for educational and cultural enrichment for our community and is a significant feature of our beloved Miwok Park,” Gauntlett said in an email.

The new agreement features an option to extend by one year at the end of the term. The museum will pay 100% of the natural gas bill and will be charged by the city for 25% of the of the water, sewer and electricity bills.

In the 2022-23 fiscal year, the city’s contribution to the museum’s utility costs was $1,662.89, according to a staff report. It included 75% of the electricity bill, 50% of the sewage assessment and 75% of the water bill.

The museum has an annual budget of approximately $1.1 million to $1.3 million, Hoaglin said.

Under the agreement, the city will help promote the museum through its activity guide, social media and e-newsletter. The city will manage exterior maintenance and the museum will take care of the interior, as well as the native plant demonstration gardens and two kiosks.

Mayor Mark Milberg said the reopening should be celebrated by the community.

“This agreement not only provides a framework for the museum’s operations but also highlights the city’s dedication to preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of the American Indian community,” Milberg said. “There is a strong partnership between the city and the museum, which emphasizes our shared commitment fostering a more inclusive and culturally aware community.”