How to Contribute Materials
The Cultural Landscape Archive grows through collaboration with Tribal Nations, county museums, families, agencies, and community members. If you have photographs, documents, maps, or stories related to New Deal programs in Montana, your contributions can help preserve and expand the historical record for future generations.
What You Can Contribute
The Archive accepts a wide range of materials that document New Deal activity across Montana’s cultural and ecological landscapes. Examples include:
- Photographs: CCC camps, WPA crews, buildings, landscapes, community events
- Maps: engineering plans, irrigation layouts, soil surveys, project blueprints
- Documents: letters, reports, diaries, administrative files, project summaries
- Oral Histories: family stories, community recollections, Tribal knowledge
- Artifacts: tools, uniforms, signage, or other physical items (photographed or scanned)
If you’re unsure whether your materials are relevant, feel free to reach out — we can help assess their historical and archival value.
How to Submit Materials
You can contribute materials in several ways:
- Email Submission: Send digital files or inquiries to the project email address.
- File Transfer: For large collections, we can arrange secure file transfer.
- In‑Person Collaboration: Museums, Tribal departments, and agencies may coordinate on‑site digitization.
- Loan for Digitization: Physical items can be temporarily loaned for scanning and returned promptly.
Before sending materials, please contact us so we can coordinate format, permissions, and handling.
Digitization Guidelines
To ensure high‑quality preservation, we recommend the following standards for digital submissions:
- Photographs: 300–600 dpi, TIFF or high‑quality JPEG
- Documents: 300 dpi, PDF or TIFF
- Maps & Plans: High‑resolution scans or photographs with even lighting
- Audio: WAV or high‑quality MP3
- Video: MP4 or MOV
If you cannot digitize materials yourself, we can help.
Permissions & Rights
Contributors retain ownership of their materials. By submitting items, you grant permission for the Archive to:
- Display the materials on this website
- Use them for research, education, and public interpretation
- Preserve them in digital form for long‑term access
We will work with you to ensure proper attribution and respect for cultural protocols.
Working with Tribal Nations
The Archive follows Tribal protocols for culturally sensitive materials. Tribal Nations determine:
- What materials may be shared publicly
- What requires restricted access
- How items should be described and contextualized
We collaborate closely with Tribal cultural departments to ensure respectful stewardship.
Ready to Contribute?
Contact us to begin the process. We look forward to working with you to preserve Montana’s New Deal heritage.
Email: (Insert project email address)
Phone: (Insert project phone number)