About three years ago, my last contract as a museology consultant got me
involved in a Native Museum project.  Basically, a Montagnais native community
in Québec was planning to double the size of its museum and needed a consultant
to help with developing a permanent exhibition scenario.  Being a white male, I
had to stand aside and observe and dialogue in order to understand a culture
which I was expected to help explain to the general public (widely white, as I
am). I quickly came to realise that the natives I was working with understood
the museum as a political tool (another topic in itself!!) and expected it to
convey their own understanding of themselves (from the traditional way of life
to the current social and political situation, not to mention the loss of
identity, etc.).  All staff members were natives, all were well qualified,
extremely creative and showed an openmindedness I rarely encountered elswhere.
The museum project became a reality and is now displaying traditional artifacts
with a rather politically-oriented view of history, which, I find, offers some
kind of counter-balance with traditionally accepted views.  I honestly do not
feel we could have attained this level of representativeness had the museum not
been led by natives and understood as a stepping stone for natives.  Of course,
my views were taken into account along the process.  But the strangest thing
happened: I was stunned to realise, at one point, that I was siding with
natives, approving territorial and political demands that I had resented in the
past, and developing a strong feeling that a strong explaination of traditional
native culture was long overdue.

In other words: museums need an identity and, depending on their mission, they
must find this identity among the people they represent.  In this particular
case, the museum was to serve as a window on a community which felt the need to
explain itself calmly and in a positive manner.  And yes, it is possible to
learn and identify with another culture.  As long as you keep your mind open.
There is no birthright to historical and sociological interpretation, nor is
there a right to get a position in museum just because you happen to be of the
right group. But I agree with Julia Moore: all being equal, and depending on the
institution's mission, a member of the group being focused on / collected /
presented by a museum should have priority.

Hervé Gagnon, Ph.D.
Director-Curator
Colby-Curtis Museum
Stanstead (Québec)
Canada



Ross Weeks a écrit:

> I feel this is a dialogue that ought not to end anytime soon.
>
> As one born in upstate New York, the biggest handicap I'm experiencing in my
> present position is my lack of understanding (appreciation might be a better
> word) for the Southern Cause 145 years ago.   I know the history, but I
> don't sense and never will, the emotional reflexes of those whose forebears
> fought for a cause "they" saw as noble and inspired by the Almighty.  So it
> is that I am unable to espouse "the cause" as some wish I would do.
>
> And though I've learned to create long overdue change in Southern museums
> ever so slowly (holding in check my Yankee impatience), there is always the
> price we pay for not being "of the bonds of the true South," as one
> resigning Board member wrote some years ago.
>
> In working with the power people in museums (the ones usually out there
> behind the scenes) I've had to put my conscience in my back pocket in order
> to listen through exasperated slurs aimed at one minority or another --
> exasperated because the power people know they're losing it.
>
> These power people are not unique to the South by any means.  In doing MAP
> assessments, I've found they are most everywhere.  Essentially, they find
> some way to control.
>
> To get to the point, I fully agree with Ms. Moore as quoted below, based
> 100% on experience in several settings:
>
> >Yes, but given a choice between a person of that cultural background and
> >one who is not, all else being equal, the person of that culture will
> >get the job.  You may have wanted to say that nobody should
> >automatically be DISqualified based on LACK of the desired cultural
> >background:  that would be discriminatory.  A job description would
> >NEVER state outright that the successful candidate would be Jewish,
> >African-American, Latino or whatever.
>
> >Julia Moore
> >Director of Exhibitions and Artist Services
> >Indianapolis Art Center