"ask" is articulated on the "How to Participate" page (Figure A-6). I focus on using

conversational wording so the site has a friendly and inviting tone, and the directives are

easily understood by a wide variety of community members. I offer clearly stated, open-

ended questions that invite a wide range of input, allowing every tribal member to feel

that his or her insights are valid and valuable to the museum. I also explicitly list how the

comments may be used by the museum. I provided this information with the intention of

letting the participants make an informed decision when choosing to contribute.

Recruiting Participants, Building Partnerships

      The collaborative aspect of the wiki required me to introduce the project goals

and methods to cultural heritage advocates in the community and to initiate a

professional relationship with interested individuals. The input aspect of the project is

essential in order to provide accurate, culturally sensitive information on the Seminole

and Miccosukee objects in the collection. Each page of the wiki includes a comment

box, where Tribal members are encouraged to add corrections, additional information,

and personal stories related to the artifacts. To persuade Tribal members that the

project was beneficial to the community and worthwhile to contribute to, I needed to

recruit participants and build partnerships with individuals and the community at large.

       My first interaction with the Seminole Tribe of Florida was through the staff at the

Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum at the Big Cypress Reservation in southern Florida. The Ah-

Tah-Thi-Ki Museum is a Tribal museum operated by the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The

staff invited me to tour the museum and discuss my project with them in person. I met

with the Curator of Exhibits, Exhibits Manager, and Research Coordinator who all

demonstrated support for the wiki project. Each offered insights into recruiting

strategies, namely advertising in Facebook and the Seminole Tribune newspaper. The