Mission and Policies

Mission Statement

The Shiloh Museum of Ozark History serves the public by preserving and providing resources for finding meaning, enjoyment, and inspiration in the exploration of the Arkansas Ozarks. Adopted by the Shiloh Museum Board of Trustees on February 11, 2016.

Your Story Belongs Here

Since our founding in 1968, the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History has had a steadfast commitment to telling the stories of the “regular” people who have occupied the land in the Arkansas Ozarks or who have moved here over the years. Just as our population continues to grow and change, so does our understanding of the history, culture, and people who make up our community. We welcome everyone and want people to see themselves reflected in all we do.

The way we tell the stories of our community must also change with our increased understanding. We are committed to providing exhibits, programs, and events that both reflect and appeal to as many people as possible. Making our services and site accessible is also a high priority, and that includes taking our passion for learning, our knowledge, and our expertise outside the museum and into the six-county region whose history we collect and study. We recognize that our collections, programs, research, and internal processes need constant scrutinizing and examination to be able to offer more thorough and complete narratives of the history of our region.

We are proud to be the caretakers of our history and to be entrusted with the stories of all the people and cultures–past, present, and future–that make up the Arkansas Ozarks.

Board approved September 22, 2022

Our Commitment to Ethical History and Cultural Work

The Shiloh Museum of Ozark History appreciates and acknowledges the tradition in many cultures of blessing the land, the people, or an event. In that spirit, we respectfully recognize the complicated history of the land we are on and the six counties we serve. No accounting or acknowledgment here can fully articulate the contributions, suffering, triumphs, or lives of the many cultures who have called this place their home for thousands of years. Of the many who have come before us, some were the victims of oppression and ethnic cleansing, sometimes at the hand of colonizers and settlers, and other times as a result of natural events or historical circumstance, the effects of which are still felt today.

While as a museum we cannot make full reparations to the many people who were either harmed or who labored on this land, we do strive through our exhibits, programs, events, collections, and scholarship to honor and celebrate all of the people, cultures, and traditions that have formed the communities and land we are today.    

Adapted July 2023

Vision

We envision a community where children and adults are inspired by local history and understand their natural and cultural heritage.

Values

At the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History, we:

• are welcoming as we meet, interact with, and respond to those who visit and use our services.

• engage our audiences to stimulate wonder and learning.

• value preservation, the primary goal for our local history, culture, and artifacts.

• are professional, making a continuing commitment to maintain the highest standards in the field.

Board of Trustees

President: José Echegoyen

Vice President: Nathan Shinn

Treasurer: Seth Rahmoeller

Vice Treasurer: Kim Smith

Members: Leticia Cortez, Anne Greene, Jenny Neel, Delene McCoy

Life Trustees.* Dr. C. S. Applegate, Dr. Dwight Heathman, Martha Lankford, Maudine Sanders, Stephen Taylor
*all deceased

Museum bylaws, board member contact information, and board meeting agendas and minutes are available on the City of Springdale website.