Date of Award

2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Department

Anthropology

First Advisor

Christina Kreps

Second Advisor

Kelly Fayard

Third Advisor

Frédérique Chevillot

Keywords

Decolonization, NAGPRA, Repatriation

Abstract

This thesis examines the museological phenomena of repatriation beyond NAGPRA and the incorporation of Indigenous curatorial methods into museum collections practices. The project explores repatriation and collections caretaking practices at ten settler institutions through narratives of experience collected from museum staff. The findings of this research suggest that repatriation beyond NAGPRA and the Indigenization of collections care are situated processes that should be understood contextually and historically. This thesis argues that, in some cases, repatriation beyond NAGPRA and the integration of Indigenous perspectives, practices, and protocols into museum collections stewardship demonstrates a willingness by institutions to go beyond the minimum requirements of repatriation law and to voluntarily relinquish some degree of settler ownership and control of Native ancestors and belongings. In this sense, they can be interpreted as decolonizing practices.

Publication Statement

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

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

Rights holder

Lydia Degn-Sutton

File size

164 pgs

File format

application/pdf

Language

en

Discipline

Museum studies, Cultural anthropology

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