Hell assess the date and quality of images, look at different formats and oversee the scanning. Project organizers say they see two primary uses for a digital collection. One is scholarly. A researcher in Italy interested in artwork of the Northern Cheyenne wont have to travel to Montana to see it, said Peterson. The other use is tribal,said Fleming, who's also a part of the project.
Members can use the images to help restore lost cultural elements.
In addition, the digital medium would be a way of protecting the works from wear and tear. Between 1,500 and 2,000images, mostly photographs, will be included to start, said Jackson. All montana tribes will be represented in the database that will include text and an index. Users will be able to search for pictures of elk teeth dresses, for example. Photographs of sacred religious articles or of ceremonies where sacred objects are used wont be included, said Fleming.