1st Edition
Making Representations Museums in the Post-Colonial Era
Responses to controversial exhibitions in recent years have demonstrated the dissatisfaction felt by many indigenous peoples and ethnic groups at the ways in which the western museum traditionally represented their cultures and excluded them from the process of interpretation and display. Native Americans, Aboriginal Australians, and other indigenous peoples are now demanding that human remains, sacred objects and other items of cultural property be removed from display and repatriated. Drawing upon the experiences of museum staff and communities across the globe, 'Making Representations' examines the development of new forms of museological practice. The author also examines the growth of museums, cultural centres and Aboriginal Keeping Places being established by indigenous and immigrant communities as they take control of the interpretive process and challenge the traditional role of the museum.
Biography
Moira G. Simpson
'Making Representations is a beautifully double-edged title. It expresses the activity of museums as they display and interpret cultures, but also voices the growing demands of the peoples represented to be involved in the way their culture is presented in museums.' - Museums Journal
'The book is well presented and illustrated. This is a genuinely helpful contribution to museum thinking and should become a standard museum studies text.' - Gaynor Kavanagh, University of Leicester
