Paper short abstract:

With a critical eye on the colonial lens still visible in many museums and institutions today, this paper will examine the notion of “decolonization” from an Indigenous perspective, drawing on personal experiences as an Indigenous professional in the conservation and curatorial fields.

Paper long abstract:

This paper will examine the notion of “decolonization” from an Indigenous perspective, starting with the question: “What are museums?” Historically, they were viewed as having practical value and their artifacts and exhibitions were tools for research, teaching, and learning. Many museums in Canada followed the 19th-century British model, whose collections were largely compiled by those who saw their efforts as a way of “preserving the past,” believing that Indigenous communities would soon fade into obscurity; this relegated Indigenous peoples to the position of the marginalized “Other,” pre-modern, or even extinct. With Western museums having had custody and patrimony over Indigenous material, memory, and history for centuries, the colonial narrative was imposed and is still visible in many institutions today.

“Decolonization” is fast becoming a critical paradigm in the museum field, especially in Canada. However, this methodology is vastly different from an Indigenous perspective than from an institutional one. Although many believe diversity and inclusion are quick one-shot ways of incorporating this, superficially inviting Indigenous people into the institutional space to increase the percentage of Indigenous staff and help improve exhibitions is not enough. Museums aiming for true “decolonization” and, by extension, “reconciliation,” must face the realities of their own colonial histories. This involves taking responsibility and re-evaluating their relationships to objects and communities; changing attitudes of being the “owners” to that of “custodians” of relevant objects, stories, and histories, with an obligation to their creators; and acknowledging the effects and repercussions of unbalanced and often predatory relationships and practices.