Date of Award
2023
Document Type
Masters Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Organizational Unit
College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences, Anthropology
First Advisor
Kelly Fayard
Second Advisor
Christina Kreps
Third Advisor
Frédérique Chevillot
Keywords
Dwight Wallace, Inalienable possessions, Indigenization, John Wallace, Kaigani Haida, Totem poles
Abstract
In 2019, two Kaigani Haida (Alaskan Haida) totem poles (Xaadas Gyáa’ang) were re-raised in the renovated Northwest Coast gallery of the Denver Art Museum. Lee Wallace and his family, descendants of Haida carver Dwight Wallace and Dwight’s son John Wallace, led a ceremony that publicly acknowledged the Wallace family’s connection to the two poles, reintroduced Haida cultural protocols into their care and viewing, and set the stage for future collaborations between the museum and family. This study explores the history of the poles and the intersecting forces that shaped their journey from Sukkwan, Alaska, to Denver, including shifting ideals of preservation, rights to cultural patrimony, and assertions of Indigenous sovereignty in Southeast Alaska. Through interviews with Lee Wallace, as well as DAM employees, this thesis situates the pole-raising ceremony within the larger and ongoing journey of the poles, as well as within pushes to decolonize or Indigenize museums.
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Rights Holder
Penske Stranger McCormack
Provenance
Received from ProQuest
File Format
application/pdf
Language
en
File Size
175 pgs
Recommended Citation
McCormack, Penske Stranger, "'They Were Known Accordingly’: The Journey of the Land Otter Pole and Memorial Pole at the Denver Art Museum" (2023). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2231.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/2231
Copyright date
2023
Discipline
Museum studies, Native American studies, Art history
Included in
American Art and Architecture Commons, Museum Studies Commons, Native American Studies Commons