Decolonizing Museums

Representing Native America in National and Tribal Museums

By Amy Lonetree | Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press

About the book

Museum exhibitions focusing on Native American history have long been curator controlled. However, a shift is occurring, giving Indigenous people a larger role in determining exhibition content. In Decolonizing Museums, Amy Lonetree examines the complexities of these new relationships with an eye toward exploring how museums can grapple with centuries of unresolved trauma as they tell the stories of Native peoples. She investigates how museums can honor an Indigenous worldview and way of knowing, challenge stereotypical representations, and speak the hard truths of colonization within exhibition spaces to address the persistent legacies of historical unresolved grief in Native communities.
Lonetree focuses on the representation of Native Americans in exhibitions at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, the Mille Lacs Indian Museum in Minnesota, and the Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabe Culture and Lifeways in Michigan. Drawing on her experiences as an Indigenous scholar and museum professional, Lonetree analyzes exhibition texts and images, records of exhibition development, and interviews with staff members. She addresses historical and contemporary museum practices and charts possible paths for the future curation and presentation of Native lifeways.

Editions of Decolonizing Museums

Hardcover
ISBN 9780807837146
Paperback
ISBN 9780807837153
EBook
ISBN 9798893130416
EBook
ISBN 9781469601441
EBook
ISBN 9780807837528
PDF
ISBN 9798890842886

Read an Excerpt

Museum exhibitions focusing on Native American history have long been curator controlled. However, a shift is occurring, giving Indigenous people a larger role in determining exhibition content. In Decolonizing Museums, Amy Lonetree examines the complexities of these new relationships with an eye toward exploring how museums can grapple with centuries of unresolved trauma as they tell the stories of Native peoples. She investigates how museums can honor an Indigenous worldview and way of knowing, challenge stereotypical representations, and speak the hard truths of colonization within exhibition spaces to address the persistent legacies of historical unresolved grief in Native communities.
Lonetree focuses on the representation of Native Americans in exhibitions at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, the Mille Lacs Indian Museum in Minnesota, and the Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabe Culture and Lifeways in Michigan. Drawing on her experiences as an Indigenous scholar and museum professional, Lonetree analyzes exhibition texts and images, records of exhibition development, and interviews with staff members. She addresses historical and contemporary museum practices and charts possible paths for the future curation and presentation of Native lifeways.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Decolonizing Museums about?

Museum exhibitions focusing on Native American history have long been curator controlled. However, a shift is occurring, giving Indigenous people a larger role in determining exhibition content. In Decolonizing Museums, Amy Lonetree examines the complexities of these new relationships with an eye toward exploring how museums can grapple with centuries of unresolved trauma as they tell the stories of Native peoples. She investigates how museums can honor an Indigenous worldview and way of knowing, challenge stereotypical representations, and speak the hard truths of colonization within exhibition spaces to address the persistent legacies of historical unresolved grief in Native communities.
Lonetree focuses on the representation of Native Americans in exhibitions at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, the Mille Lacs Indian Museum in Minnesota, and the Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabe Culture and Lifeways in Michigan. Drawing on her experiences as an Indigenous scholar and museum professional, Lonetree analyzes exhibition texts and images, records of exhibition development, and interviews with staff members. She addresses historical and contemporary museum practices and charts possible paths for the future curation and presentation of Native lifeways.

What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Decolonizing Museums?

History and Archaeology > History > History: specific events and topics > Social and cultural history

Where can I read a sample of Decolonizing Museums?

You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780807837146

How long is Decolonizing Museums and how many pages does it have?

Decolonizing Museums has 248 page(s)

Who is/are the Author/s of the book Decolonizing Museums?

Amy Lonetree

Who is the Publisher of the book Decolonizing Museums?

The University of North Carolina Press

What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?

Decolonizing Museums is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780807837146) and paperback(ISBN 9780807837153) and ebook(ISBN 9798893130416) and ebook(ISBN 9781469601441) and ebook(ISBN 9780807837528) and pdf(ISBN 9798890842886)

Where can I buy Decolonizing Museums online or support local independent bookshops?

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Where can I buy Decolonizing Museums?