Untangling the Past: An Investigation into the Classification Scheme of the Pacific Northwest Indian Center/Museum of Native American Cultures

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to document an investigation into the unique book classification system developed by the Pacific Northwest Indian Center (PNIC), also known as the Museum of Native American Cultures (MONAC), which operated from the mid-1960s through the early 1990s in Spokane, Washington.  The article will provide some background information on PNIC/MONAC and its library operation, describe the process of reviewing and evaluating the classification system, and offer analysis into the positive and problematic aspects of the classification system in relation to other classification systems developed for materials by and about indigenous peoples of North America.