Exhibit Development Through Partnerships with American Indian Tribes and Museums

Summary

Decisions regarding the use of museum collections in exhibits that interpret the history and culture of American Indians have often been made by non-natives, without the input of the people the exhibits are about. History Colorado was recently presented with a situation that allowed the museum to do the opposite. The Ute Indian Museum is one of History Colorado’s community properties and is one, if not the only, state-owned museum dedicated to an American Indian group-the Ute people. In 2013, the state provided funding to expand the 56-year old museum and challenged the museum to raise funding to completely renovate the exhibits. From the very beginning of the project, the three Ute tribes were active partners. This paper details the process agreed upon by the partners to complete the building expansion and new exhibits. Our collaboration has produced a vibrant, gathering place for Ute and non-Ute people alike, with exhibits that tell the past and contemporary stories of Ute people in their voices.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 18732