Museums play a crucial role in preserving and showcasing diverse cultures and histories. However, decisions regarding which exhibits to prioritize can inadvertently perpetuate biases and reinforce unequal power dynamics. The Denver Museum of Nature and Science (DMNS) recently announced on both Facebook and Instagram that they would be closing the Native American while they would be keeping their Egypt exhibit open. Let’s look at the bias inherent in the decision to keeping an Egyptian exhibit while discarding a Native American exhibit, highlighting the need for equitable representation and the promotion of cultural diversity within museums. This doesn’t even go into that they do not have total support of this from the larger Native American community in the Denver metro area. Most just want to see a few updates happen and not the destruction of the entire exhibit.
To understand the bias at play, it is important to consider the historical context surrounding the establishment of museums. The origins of many Western museums can be traced back to colonial endeavors, during which artifacts were often acquired through exploitative means (Merryman, 2006). Graves of both Native Americans and Egyptians had been looted for goods and bodies for private collectors and museums. This colonial legacy has shaped the narratives and priorities within museum exhibits, often favoring Eurocentric perspectives over those of indigenous cultures (Hooper-Greenhill, 2000). Even though the Egyptian exhibit is clearly still focused on the Western perspective of Egypt, the Native American exhibit, which had Native Americans as part of its creation, actually had parts of it that actively fought against classic stereotypes. The exhibit was created in the 1970s and was made working with people that were perceived to be Native American leaders and community members. They put their voices in how the exhibit was created and what was in it. The museum claims that there is bias and stereotypes in this exhibit, but if it was created with the voices of Native Americans it was actually ground breaking and closing that exhibit would silence the voices of those Natives that worked hard to get Native life displayed how they wanted it displayed.
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| The Native American exhibit is actually beautifully made. It actually broke stereotypes by showing that Natives did not just live tepees, but also could build brick buildings. Showing these brick buildings is important because they have also shaped Western architectural styles |
One of these was a beautiful mural that displayed the classic stereotypes of the Native American, why raising the comment “but you don’t look Native.” This is a massively common problem now a days where people are attacked or forced blame on them based on their physical appearance. This is actually really bad for white presenting Native Americans. I even saw on the museum’s social media accounts where people were basically demanding to know if people were Native or not to try and give validity to what they were saying about disagreeing about the closing of this exhibit. People were being forced to “out” themselves to be heard in the debate about this exhibit.
Retaining an Egyptian exhibit while removing a Native American exhibit perpetuates an imbalance in cultural representation. Museums have traditionally prioritized ancient civilizations, such as Egypt, Greece, and Rome, in their displays (Ames, 1992). This emphasis on certain cultures reinforces the notion that some civilizations are more important or advanced than others. In contrast, indigenous cultures, including Native American communities, are often marginalized and relegated to smaller exhibits or completely excluded (LaRoche, 2017). By the DMNS not being clear about what they are doing about this exhibit and just saying they are closing it, they are supporting that some cultures are valued more then others and fitting into the classic mistakes that museums have been making for years in relation to cultural representation.
The decision to retain an Egyptian exhibit while eliminating a Native American exhibit raises concerns about cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriation occurs when elements of a marginalized culture are commodified and used without proper understanding or respect for their cultural significance (Young, 2005). By focusing on the Egyptian exhibit, which is distant in time and space, while disregarding Native American cultures, museums risk perpetuating a cycle of cultural exploitation and erasure. There are questions about the artifacts that are in the DMNS collection, but each item needs to be intensely researched. Some of the items in the museum’s collection were not stolen or looted, but were given to the museum by Natives as gifts to be used to teach future generations about Native Americans as their images disappear from the larger social consensus. It is highly unlikely that the museum will take the time or invest the money that would be required before these items are sent back to the tribes which would be ignoring what their Native owners had wanted.
The bias underlying the decision to keep the Egyptian exhibit stems from the persistence of colonial narratives in museum curatorial practices. This can be seen in the current leadership at the DMNS in the decisions that they are making. Western museums often prioritize showcasing cultures that were encountered through colonization, reinforcing a Eurocentric perspective that positions Western civilization as the pinnacle of human achievement (Macdonald, 2013). This perpetuates the notion that cultures deemed "exotic" or "ancient" are more deserving of attention, while the narratives of indigenous cultures, shaped by ongoing struggles for sovereignty and recognition, are diminished (Peers & Brown, 2003). The DMNS is also making a mistake in listening to just a few people that they have deemed to be leaders in the Native American community. In modern society most Natives and people with Native heritage live in cities and do not view Native ‘leaders’ as leaders in their lives. Even within the Native community not all Natives agree on what is the right thing to do in relation to Native artifacts or even the correct language usage in relation to what to call the different tribes. People with an anthropology background should know that thoughts within a community or group are not uniform and that by just listening to a few they are actively working to silence other Native voices. They are not also taking into account that people that do not have any Native connection actually enjoy learning about cultures different from their own and that this exhibit is one of the first that many school children are exposed to. This is why there is a complexity around both the Native American and Egyptian exhibits that the current leadership at the museum do not seem able to handle. It is unclear if it is due to their lack of education or work experiences around tough cultural conversations (seen by looking at the staff members’ LinkedIn profiles).
Museums have a responsibility to educate and foster empathy among visitors. By prioritizing diverse narratives and inclusivity, museums can challenge biases and promote cross-cultural understanding (Falk & Dierking, 2000). But by closing one cultural exhibit over another they are cutting off what could be complex learning experiences. Retaining the Egyptian exhibit while removing the Native American exhibit undermines these goals, as it reinforces existing power imbalances and perpetuates a narrow understanding of world cultures.
The
decision to keep an Egyptian exhibit while discarding a Native American exhibit
within museums reflects a form of bias that perpetuates unequal power dynamics
and cultural erasure. Such biases are rooted in historical colonial practices
and the prioritization of certain cultures over others. To address this issue,
museums must strive for equitable representation, challenge colonial and native
narratives, and prioritize inclusivity and cross-cultural understanding. By
doing so, museums can contribute to a more just and inclusive society, where
all cultures are valued and celebrated.
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Additionally, the DMNS also created this survey after the backlash that they received about closing the exhibit. Please do the survey to help us keep a Native American exhibit open even if updates are needed and can be done without closing the whole thing. https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7196730/030bbedf58ae
You
can also go to the bottom of this post if you would like to see some of the
posts from social media about how the community and Natives feel about the
closing of this exhibit. The museum may be trying to erase their voices by
taking down their main post from the Instagram page for the museum, but we will
help their voices be heard here. The only way you can not get to the museum’s
post is if you commented on it and can trace through your activities. The Facebook one can still be gotten to from their Facebook page.
References:
Falk, J. H., & Dierking, L. D. (2000). Learning from museums: Visitor experiences and the making of meaning. AltaMira Press.
Hooper-Greenhill, E. (2000). Museums and the interpretation of visual culture. Routledge.
LaRoche, C. (2017). Recovering Native American presence: The discourse of museums. Routledge.
Macdonald, S. (2013). Museum theory: An expanded field. John Wiley & Sons.
Merryman, J. H. (2006). Imperialism, art and restitution. Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law, 39(5), 1387-1418.
Peers, L., & Brown, A. (2003). Museums and source communities: A Routledge reader. Routledge.
Young, J. (2005). Colonial desire: Hybridity in theory, culture, and race. Routledge.
Ames, M. M. "Museums, the nation, and the indigenous voice." Daedalus 121, no. 1 (1992): 31-53.
Falk, J. H., and L. D. Dierking. Learning from museums: Visitor experiences and the making of meaning. AltaMira Press, 2000.
Hooper-Greenhill, E. Museums and the interpretation of visual culture. Routledge, 2000.
LaRoche, C. Recovering Native American presence: The discourse of museums. Routledge, 2017.
Macdonald, S. Museum theory: An expanded field. John Wiley & Sons, 2013.
Merryman, J. H. "Imperialism, art and restitution." Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law 39, no. 5 (2006): 1387-1418.
Peers, L., and A. Brown. Museums and source communities: A Routledge reader. Routledge, 2003.
Young,
J. Colonial desire: Hybridity in theory, culture, and race. Routledge, 2005.
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Additional Resources
Denver Museum of Nature and Science, "Important Hall Update." https://www.dmns.org/visit/exhibitions/north-american-indian-cultures/?fbclid=IwAR3qLSfP5OMvNjI-lMvQl4lJywnrGFkgJsBwoI0A5nNfz90NbfOfrTBJ_n8 - This shows that the museum is not listening to the whole community and only a few that do not represent all of the Native voices out there. Them saying that they are basing this off concerns from the community is a lie based of the larger community that they have cut out of this decision and does not take into account their bias that they are then displaying in keeping the Egyptian exhibit up when community members are also 'raising' concerns about that exhibit remaining open. They talk about reimaging but the Egyptian exhibit also needs to be reimaged and the community at present is not trusting the current museum leadership to carry out this work. As an anthropologist and historian (not to mention a previous volunteer and employee at the DMNS) I can say that I do not trust the current people overseeing this or leading the museum in general. The president of the museum has been there a long time and his decisions have not always been the best. This can be seen in his sign off on the changes around the planetarium that were costly and non-educational. It is time that the museum change out its leadership.
Social
Media Voices on the Exhibit
Instagram
(https://www.instagram.com/p/CsY9D_BuNJ_/
)
Voices of Natives against the closure:
Facebook
The museum is also hurting their bottom line:
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