The mission of the Center for the Preservation of Indigenous Cultures has been to “preserve the art and culture of many indigenous tribes that inhabit the Amazon region and has housed one of the finest, most comprehensive collections of Native South American art in the world.” Due to the death of the museum’s founder and director two years ago, the museum subsequently closed. The $10,000 grant given in November, 2005 was to assist in the rebuilding of its collections, reopen the museum, and to train staff.