Indigenous Collections

Oncethe exclusive realm of non-Indigenous curators and conservators, the care ofIndigenous works in museums is now largely carried out either incollaboration with or by community members-a significant change from thecolonial origins of museum collections and conservation practice.This volume brings together over 100 readings-by Indigenous andnon-Indigenous authors from around the world-that trace the development ofthe conservation of Indigenous collections. The writers provide a wide rangeof expertise, from archaeology and ethnography to law, and include communityleaders, anthropologists, and art historians, as well as conservators andcurators.The book begins with an examination of thechanges in terminology that increasingly reflect trust and respect,Indigenous care practices that predate the emergence of museums, and theimpact of policy and legislation on Indigenous art and artifacts. Otherreadings explore the challenges associated with managing large, complexcollections and the changes that resulted from addressing them: thedevelopment of specialized technical approaches, the incorporation ofintangible heritage in conservation agendas, and a broadening view of whatconservation means and how to practice it. IndigenousCollections concludes by looking at new approachesto museums-managed by or jointly with the people most closely connected tothe holdings-and to the future, through innovations in conservationeducation.