An introduction to types of museums, with a focus on Indigenous museums and indigenized museums, and the roles of such institutions within society. This course explores historical and current issues of power structures forming narratives and representations about identity, race, ethnicity, culture, history, and gender within museums. Social justice and social change are important themes for this course. This class may include students from multiple sections. (Social Sciences, Elective)
Course Outcomes
- Identify how power structures shape narratives and representations of identity, race, gender, culture, ethnicity, and history within mainstream museums and indigenous museums in North America.
- Explain how multiple social institutions such as politics, the legal system, and education influence the museum field within Indian Country and in mainstream North America.
- Analyze important issues and perspectives across diverse communities and build an understanding of tribal, regional, state, and national museum involvement in social work and social change in North America.
- Apply sociological concepts and theories to the analysis of historical and current issues within the museum field in regard to decolonizing museums, integrating perspectives of Indigenous museum professionals, and the uniqueness of indigenized museums in North America.
- Examine conventional Western methodologies as having shaped museums and compare and contrast museums that implement Indigenous pedagogies, methodologies, and "ways of knowing".