Barbara Savage, President and Founder: Tribal Trust Foundation

Over the past fifteen years, Barbara Savage has served as President and Founder of the Tribal Trust Foundation dedicating her time, energy, expertise, and resources to further its mission to help preserve the living arts of indigenous people. She has personally witnessed the struggle for survival of indigenous peoples throughout the world and identified the sustainable cultural preservation projects supported by the foundation. She has produced two documentary films for the Tribal Trust Foundation and most recently organized, Mbuti: Children of the Forest, a traveling photographic exhibition that brings honor and awareness to the indigenous net hunters of the Ituri Forest in the Congo.

As an educator, Barbara has been invited to share her experiences implementing the mission of the Tribal Trust Foundation with students of all ages, including the university level. She is currently an adjunct professor at Antioch University Santa Barbara. In her capacity as Buyer for the Santa Barbara Museum of Art Store, she has drawn upon her experience as a craft gallery owner and owner of a company that created and sold sacred jewelry, art, and artifacts to successfully introduce and foster a market for handmade Fair Trade products that support indigenous communities throughout the world. Barbara applied her MAOM studies at Antioch University SB to the museum store. Her business plan for the store facilitated the creation of an online store and transformed the museum store into a popular destination for unique affordable gifts and a profit center for the museum.