Date of Award

Summer 8-22-2026

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

M.A. in Anthropology

Organizational Unit

College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences, Anthropology

First Advisor

Kelly Fayard

Second Advisor

Christina Kreps

Third Advisor

Angela Parker

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved.

Keywords

Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Exhibition closure, Indigenous representation, Museum ethics, Museum studies, Settler colonialism

Abstract

This thesis examines the June 2023 closure of the North American Indian Cultures Hall (NAICH) at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science (DMNS) as a critical moment of institutional transformation. Through a case study approach grounded in archival research, interviews, surveys, and discourse analysis of social media posts and public commentary, this project investigates how exhibit closures reflect shifting dynamics of curatorial authority, Indigenous representation, and settler colonial structures. Guided by theoretical frameworks of settler colonial theory, desire-based research, institutional critique, and museum anthropology, this study explores how internal museum politics, community opinion, and public narratives reshape accountability and cultural memory. By analyzing the ideological and material “unmaking” of NAICH, this research contributes to broader conversations about decolonization, museum ethics, and the evolving role of cultural institutions in negotiating historical legacies.

Copyright Date

8-2026

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

Abigail Genene Duff

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Format

application/pdf

Language

English (eng)

Extent

190 pgs

File Size

884 KB

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