| Description |
Taking a class about Native American studies opened my eyes to the many problems the Native American community has had to face for decades. One of those problems was with something I've enjoyed my entire life: museums. Museums have always been a place of wonder and learning for me. I never was taught about the history of museums and their relationships with indigenous people. Even today some museums still do not include indigenous voices, decolonize their exhibits or collections, or even consult tribes. For my thesis, I wanted to do a case study of my state museum, the Natural History Museum of Utah (NHMU), to see if their relationship with Native Americans had improved since I worked there, if their exhibits and collections had been decolonized, and if they had consulted tribes that appear in their exhibits. If there were improvements or interventions that should be made, I wanted to make sure to offer suggestions for the NHMU. In order to achieve this goal, I needed to learn about the history of museums and Native Americans, what Native Americans want changed with museums, and what Native Americans have done to decolonize museums themselves. Through this knowledge I would be able to analyze the NHMU, and if needed, make suggestions to change their exhibits, collections, and their relationships with Native Americans through this thesis. |
