Museum Collections
“The mission of the California Department of Parks and Recreation is to provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation” (DOM 2000.2).
The Department Mission Statement is intended to guide all department activities including collections management. The State of California manages a collection of millions of objects, aiding in the preservation of our cultural resources and in the inspiration and education of the people of California. California State Parks’ holdings collectively represent nearly every aspect of our state’s rich cultural and natural heritage.
The Inland Empire District stewards collections affiliated with the history and interpretation of our parks. This includes California Citrus State Historic Park, Chino Hills State Park, Lake Perris State Recreation Area, Mount San Jacinto State Park, Providence Mountains State Recreation Area, and Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area. Each park has specific designated interpretive periods and themes, and the collections affiliated with these parks are designed to support those themes.
Collection Donations
Many objects within the Inland Empire District’s collections have come from public donations, for which we appreciate. If you believe you have an item that would be of interest to our parks, please fill out the “Donation Request” form to provide a detailed description with photos to our district Museum Curator Alexandra Jonassen at alexandra.jonassen@parks.ca.gov or (951)-613-1429.
The prospective request will be evaluated by the district’s Museum Curator and District Superintendent, who are responsible for caring for all collection items, and in accordance with each park’s Scope of Collections. The Scope is a guiding document to make sure all collection items fit the museum’s mission and intent. If we cannot properly care for certain items, we will not accept them. We cannot promise to display loaned or donated items.
Frequently Asked Questions
Click on the dropdown boxes to reveal answers to commonly asked questions.
Prospective donors should fill out a Donation Request form here, which will provide a description of the item(s) to the Museum Curator who will evaluate this request. You can expect a response within two weeks from the date of submission. If you have any questions or issues, please contact Museum Curator I Alexandra Jonassen at alexandra.jonassen@parks.ca.gov.
Not immediately. All donation items need to be approved by the Museum Curator and District Superintendent prior to being given to a park. Only upon acceptance will arrangements be made for objects to be shipped, dropped off, or picked up.
We cannot promise to display loaned or donated items.
No. California State Parks is a nonprofit organization, and its employees are prohibited from authenticating and appraising objects. An object can be appraised by private dealers and auction houses.
Please contact the Museum Curator Alexandra Jonassen alexandra.jonassen@parks.ca.gov who can direct your inquiry to the appropriate districts’ staff and address returning the material.
Please contact Museum Curator Alexandra Jonassen alexandra.jonassen@parks.ca.gov with information as to what you would like to research, and she will outline what the requirements are to do so. Depending on the nature of the request, access may be denied or granted.
Indigenous Collections
California State Parks and specifically the Inland Empire District house items culturally affiliated with indigenous tribes. The California Department of Parks and Recreation recognizes its special responsibility as the steward of many sites of cultural and spiritual significance to living Native peoples of California and its responsibility to properly care for cultural items.
Collections Care and MOUs
Collection items culturally affiliated with indigenous tribes require additional consideration for them to be properly stewarded and cared for. The specific requirements for a collection item will be established through consultation with the affiliated indigenous tribes through a Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) between California Native American Tribes and the Inland Empire District. The Inland Empire District is actively working with the Tribal Affairs Program to assist in the negotiation of MOUs. These MOUs between tribes and State Parks establish protocols for continuous open discussions and outline the responsibilities of each party to promote successful cooperation and partnership.
If a California Native American tribe is interested in developing an MOU with California State Parks, they should reach out to district(s) in their traditional territories. Each Park District has an assigned Tribal Liaison who works with local tribes, District staff, and the Tribal Affairs Program. A tribe may choose to include all districts within their traditional territories in their MOU.
Through the MOU process, representatives of the Tribe and the Department develop and agree upon a set of mutually beneficial activities. Examples of such mutually beneficial activities include tribal access to specific Park areas for co-management of specific resources, vegetation gathering, and interpretive support. These mutually beneficial activities can be expanded and further refined through the duration of the MOU, which is typically five years.
The Tribal Affairs Program will assist the district in drafting an MOU that will be reviewed, updated, and approved by all parties. If a California Native American tribe is interested in developing an MOU with the Inland Empire District they should reach out to the district’s Tribal Liaison: Teri Pope at teresa.pope@parks.ca.gov or the district Museum Curator Alexandra Jonassen at alexandra.jonassen@parks.ca.gov.
NAGPRA and Repatriation
The Inland Empire District works with the California State Parks Tribal Affairs Program to facilitate tribal consultation and repatriation. California State Parks Tribal Affairs Program
Leslie L. Hartzell, Cultural Resources Division Chief, is the Department’s Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act Coordinator. As the Department NAGPRA Coordinator, she is actively working with culturally affiliated tribes throughout the state to identify and repatriate the remains of their ancestors and other cultural items.
The Department NAGPRA Coordinator is responsible for the Department’s compliance with NAGPRA and the receiving and review of repatriation claims and facilitating NAGPRA-required consultations. Other duties of the coordinator include the preparation and presentation of information on tribal claims and consultation to designated Native American groups, maintaining permanent files of notifications and claims, representing the Department’s repatriation program to California Native American tribes, other state agencies and the museum and archaeological communities. Tribes interested in consultation regarding NAGPRA should contact the NAGPRA Coordinator, Leslie L. Hartzell, Cultural Resources Division Chief at Leslie.hartzell@parks.ca.gov.
Any questions regarding the collections at Inland Empire State Parks District regarding NAGPRA can be directed to the district’s Tribal Liaison: Teri Pope at teresa.pope@parks.ca.gov or the district Museum Curator Alexandra Jonassen at alexandra.jonassen@parks.ca.gov.
Contact Us
Teri Pope (she/her)
District Interpretive Chief and Tribal Liaison
Teresa.Pope@parks.ca.gov
Alexandra Jonassen
District Museum Curator
Alexandra.Jonassen@parks.ca.gov
Museum Projects
Currently within the Inland Empire District, we house over 4,000 cataloged collection items. Only a small fraction of these items is currently on display within our interpretive exhibits. Our collections team actively works on cataloging, monitoring, and conserving these resources. One of our largest collections is California Citrus State Historic Park, which interprets the history of the development of citrus within the state. Photographs of the collection can be viewed below:
