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Voices of a Thousand People: The Makah Cultural and Research Center
Voices of a Thousand People is the story of one Native community’s efforts to found their own museum and empower themselves to represent their ancient traditional lifeways, their historic experiences with colonialism, and their contemporary efforts to preserve their heritage for generations to come. This ethnography richly portrays how a community embraced the archaeological discovery of Ozette village in 1970 and founded the Makah Cultural and Research Center (MCRC) in 1979. Oral testimonies, participant observation, and archival research weave a vivid portrait of a cultural center that embodies the self-image of a Native American community in tension with the identity assigned to it by others.
- GenresNonfictionAnthropology
264 pages, Hardcover
First published January 9, 2002
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January 18, 2018
The short review: A *great* analysis of the Makah Cultural and Research Center and the ways in which this museum center is able to serve the Makah community. I would highly recommend this to those interested in library sciences, museum studies, indigenous studies, archival practices, or just as a really unique discussion of the Makah people.
Chapter 1 -- Anthologists in Neah Bay: Past and Present
A discussion about how historical anthropologists have done some very negative things to the Makah as a people. This includes taking information for their own gain, misleading their studies, incorrectly identifying things, silencing indigenous voices. It also suggests some resentment still exits, yet offers a positive view of the future. See also: Vine Deloria Jr. if you're interested in discussions about anthropologists and their historic errors.
Chapter 2 -- Redefining Civilization: Struggles over Ways of Knowing on the Makah Reservation (with Helma Ward)
Information about boarding schools, language loss and revitalization, traditional ecological knowledge, economies, culture, and citizenship.
Chapter 3 -- Many Gifts from the Past: Elders, Memories, and Ozette Village
Artifacts, crafts, and the need to keep the community together. There is a terribly sad piece here where Makah children are chastised for discussing their own cosmologies in the classroom. Storytelling and oral histories. New guidelines for repatriation and working with researchers; allowing the Makah to research their own identities and peoples!
Chapter 4 -- Voices of a Thousand People: The Nature of Autobiography
Discussing the collaboration and subjectivity of the Makah Cultural and Research Center. Autoethnography. The turn to museums (see also Burke Museum and Smithsonian Institute) by Native peoples to protect their cultures and re-correct some stereotypes.
Chapter 5 -- Indigenizing the Museum: Subjectivity and the Makah Cultural and Research Center (with Kirk Wachendorf)
My favorite chapter, which discusses how the Makah frame their own museum: exhibits, needs, cultural exchange, practices, basing cases on seasons, etc.
Conclusion
Has a very interesting little section about exhibiting whaling. See Ozette: Excavating a Makah Whaling Village or Spirits of Our Whaling Ancestors: Revitalizing Makah and Nuu-chah-nulth Traditions if you're interested in Makah whaling. These are some of my favorite contemporary texts.
Chapter 1 -- Anthologists in Neah Bay: Past and Present
A discussion about how historical anthropologists have done some very negative things to the Makah as a people. This includes taking information for their own gain, misleading their studies, incorrectly identifying things, silencing indigenous voices. It also suggests some resentment still exits, yet offers a positive view of the future. See also: Vine Deloria Jr. if you're interested in discussions about anthropologists and their historic errors.
Chapter 2 -- Redefining Civilization: Struggles over Ways of Knowing on the Makah Reservation (with Helma Ward)
Information about boarding schools, language loss and revitalization, traditional ecological knowledge, economies, culture, and citizenship.
Chapter 3 -- Many Gifts from the Past: Elders, Memories, and Ozette Village
Artifacts, crafts, and the need to keep the community together. There is a terribly sad piece here where Makah children are chastised for discussing their own cosmologies in the classroom. Storytelling and oral histories. New guidelines for repatriation and working with researchers; allowing the Makah to research their own identities and peoples!
Chapter 4 -- Voices of a Thousand People: The Nature of Autobiography
Discussing the collaboration and subjectivity of the Makah Cultural and Research Center. Autoethnography. The turn to museums (see also Burke Museum and Smithsonian Institute) by Native peoples to protect their cultures and re-correct some stereotypes.
Chapter 5 -- Indigenizing the Museum: Subjectivity and the Makah Cultural and Research Center (with Kirk Wachendorf)
My favorite chapter, which discusses how the Makah frame their own museum: exhibits, needs, cultural exchange, practices, basing cases on seasons, etc.
Conclusion
Has a very interesting little section about exhibiting whaling. See Ozette: Excavating a Makah Whaling Village or Spirits of Our Whaling Ancestors: Revitalizing Makah and Nuu-chah-nulth Traditions if you're interested in Makah whaling. These are some of my favorite contemporary texts.
Displaying 1 of 1 review