Rick:

Here is the link to the story. Basically, it is a funding issue. They have even shut down their web site. I have tried to put together a comprehensive site of the collection, but the publically-available information is scant, so if anyone has and additions, corrections, or additional photos, please send them my way and I'll include them.

I just happened to read a stary last week about a group of 15 Inuit kids that were brought to the museum to learn about traditional skin boat construction, an art that was lost to them many years ago. They found it to be very empowering to relearn one of their traditional crafts. The loss of the museum goes well beyond access to the collection.

Regards,

Marcel