LLCU 295Unsettling Museums

Laura Phillipslaura.phillips@queensu.ca

Office hours by appointment via Zoom / telephoneClassroom: OnQ, asynchronous delivery / weekly discussions by ZOOM time zone dependent

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COURSE DESCRIPTIONThis course investigates the narratives in contemporary museums by putting theory offered by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholar/curators into conversation with museums. We will examine how and what museums offer in relation to lived experiences that activate Indigenous resurgence, survivance and self-determination. Discussions will be shaped around museums as locations of cultural knowledge transmissions, alongside experiential learning, with the goal of developing skills in critical analysis and decolonising theory.

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES1. Successful students will be able to identify dominant narratives.2. Successful students will be able to critically describe analyse a museum / memory institution to

identify and evaluate bias and ‘unwritten’ messages.3. Successful students will be able to use course readings and additional resources to discuss a

critical analysis of a particular case site (online or physical).4. Successful students will be able to present complex arguments and respond to complex

discussions.5. Successful students will be able to position themselves in relation to their academic work.

EVALUATION Field Trips (virtual or physical) (2) & Report (250 words) 25%

OnQ Discussion Forums 25%

Self Reflection Journal (250-300 words written weekly) 25%

Final Assignment (analytical essay OR exhibit plan – 2000 words) 25%

ASSIGNMENTSFor all assignments proper bibliographic referencing is required. The system used (MLA/ Chicago etc) is your choice, but please be consistent. Please consult the Purdue Owl if you need examples of how to reference properly https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/resources.html

1. Field Trip Reports (12.5% each – total 25%)Field Trip 1 report: DUE Friday of Week 2Students are to visit in person, or virtually, a museum. You will visit the same place in Week 10-11.Please email me with your museum destination by the end of Week 1.

Part of the purpose of this exercise is to analyse how your local area is represented in museums (in real life or on the museum website). If you do not have a local museum that you can visit, either in person or virtually (ie their website) please email me in Week 1 so we can identify a suitable location /website.

For real life visits – look at the building, the approach, any memorial type plaques, dates, texts about the museum and study in detail the text, content and labels of at least 1 display case. Write 250 words, with up to 5 photos, of your observations. This is not a formal essay, you can write informally as if you are writing a blog post.

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If it is not possible for you to visit a museum site in person, please visit a museum website (preferably a museum in your area) and undertake the same analysis. Be sure the museum website has at least some contextual information – online catalogue or ‘exhibit highlights’. Write 250 words, with up to 5 screen shots, of your observations. This is not a formal essay, you can write informally as if you are writing a blog post.

Field Trip 2 report: DUE Friday of Week 13 (aim to visit in Week 10 or 11)Students are to return to the same location reported on in Week 2, and re-evaluate based on what they have learned in the course.

Write 250 words about this visit, drawing in at least 3 quotes from our readings that relate to your observations and analysis. Include 3 photographs from the visit to demonstrate your discussions.

This is not a formal essay, you can write informally as if you are writing a blog post, but your references must be properly cited.

2. Self Reflection Journal (25%)In the format of your choice (word document, physical book) write 150-200 words reflecting on the readings and forum discussion each week. These will be handed in 3 times over the course. This is to reflect on your feelings, learning experience and reflections on the reading materials. This can be the same content that you add to the OnQ discussion forum page on the weeks indicated below.

Thinking of the readings for the week, answer these questions: What did you like about the readings? What was new information? Did you disagree with anything? If so, what? Did the reading make you want to find out more about anything? If so, what? Did you have any new thoughts on past weeks readings? Thinking of your own life, what were the main take aways from the readings?

Due Date 1: Friday of Week 3 (you should have 450-600 words written, cumulatively)Due Date 2: Friday of Week 8 (you should have 1200-1600 words written, cumulatively)Due Date 3: Friday of Week 12 (you should have 1800-2400 words written, cumulatively)

3. Final Project: Analytical Essay or Exhibit Plan (25%)For the final assignment, students will either:

1) Write an analytical essay based on the museum you visited – applying points made in the course readings to that site. Your essay should have an Introduction, at least 5 analytical sections of discussion, and a Conclusion. It must be properly referenced, with images used as appropriate. (2000 words, not including bibliography or citations)Proposal Due: Friday of Week 5 (100 words, explaining what your essay will discuss)Final Due Date: Monday 19 April 2021

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~OR~

2) Prepare an exhibition display to be installed, either virtually or physically, at your case study site that responds to, and puts your case study in conversation with, the readings and discussion from the course. Your assignment will include: a Display Title; Overview of Theme (200 words); List of 8-10 objects, belongings, artworks or artefacts you would include (with photographs); label texts (object name, maker, owner, date made, location made); and 2-3 content narratives (250-300 words each) that link the objects together. Proposal Due: Friday of Week 5 (100 words, explaining the main concept for your display)Final Due Date: Monday 19 April 2021

All assignments must have a title page that include the students name, student number, the date of submission, and the title of the assignment. Assignments should be done in Times New Roman font, size 11, 1.5 spacing.

DUE Dates – If you anticipate having any trouble meeting a deadline please let me know so we can come up with something that works for you.

WEEK 1 - January 11, 2021: Introduction to Core Concepts / Theoretical Background Part of positioning yourself in relation to this land should include an understanding of the traditional territory you grew up on, and / or are now living on. This is important because museums need to include proper relationality to what is around them, both land and people.

Reminder: Email Laura with your museum venue for Assignment 1.

In Week 1 we will determine which time zones everyone is in, and if there is a suitable time for us to meet virtually using ZOOM for a one hour discussion session each week (video feed optional). This will be relatively informal, you can bring questions and we can talk about the readings. We will also discuss (probably with a survey format) if you would find a private Facebook group useful to stay in touch about the course.

Readings:1) Chelsea Vowel, Indigenous Writes: A Guide to First Nations, Metis & Inuit Issues In

Canada: Chapter 1: 7-13.2) Murray, Laura J. “Settler and Indigenous Stories of Kingston/Ka’tarohkwi: A Case Study

in Critical Heritage Pedagogy.” Journal of Canadian Studies/Revue d’études Canadiennes, vol. 52, no. 1, Sept. 2018, pp. 249–279.

OnQ Discussion: Post an introduction for yourself using positionality statements that show your life experience, ancestry, and other details you are comfortable sharing with the group using the example I have posted for myself below as a guide. Share a photo of something that is meaningful to

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you. This is meant to develop a sense of community within our class, and to help us get to know each other in the ‘virtual’ format.

Posts must be done by Friday of Week 1.

Weekly ZOOM Discussion day & time to be decided in Week 1

Example Introduction / Positionality Statement:

I am from a white settler family with Western European roots, mostly Irish / Welsh. My dad immigrated from England in the late 1960s from Liverpool, England. My mom’s family has been in what is now Canada since the early 1800s and came from Ireland.

I am currently based in Ka’tarohkwi / Kingston, Ontario, Canada. I am CIS gendered, and use the pronouns she/her/hers. I grew up in the south western Ontario Treaty 2 / Treaty 6 / Treaty 21 (Oneida Nation of the Thames, Chippewas of the Thames & Munsee-Delaware Nations territories) region of Canada.

For my work / professional background: From 2000-2010 I lived in England, working at museums and other cultural organizations (the Pitt Rivers Museum, Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery, English Heritage, the National Trust). In 2010 I moved to Doha, Qatar, where I was the Head of Museums Documentation for Qatar Museums until 2013. In 2014 I was appointed Collections Manager at the Wolfsonian Museum in Miami Beach, Florida for a brief stint but then opted to return to Canada to take up a position as Collections & Exhibitions Coordinator at Aanischaaukamikw Cree Cultural Institute in Ouje-Bougoumou Cree Nation, Eeyou Istchee (Quebec), a position I still hold on a part-time remote basis alongside my PhD research.

In my PhD Research, I am looking at ways to reduce settler/colonial narratives in 2 museum case studies - one is a museum run by the local historical society in an English fortification tower [Murney Tower], and the other is the Miller Museum of Geology on the Queen’s University campus. I am trying to apply decolonizing concepts to my day to day life as I learn the many ways to be accountable for the displacement caused by my on-going presence on this land.

Photo: My dogs Loki & Ashta

WEEK 2: Introduction to Museum NarrativesChanging the national narrative across this land needs everyone’s attention and collaboration. This is important because museums play a role in shaping public understanding of our society.

Field Trip: A visit to a local museum or heritage site. See Assignment 1-Due Friday of Week 2.

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Readings:1) Linda Tuhiwai Smith, “Imperialism, History, Writing and Theory”, in Decolonizing

Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples, 2nd edition (London; New York; Zed Books, 2012): 20-43.

2) Nathan Sentance, 27 June 2017, “Archival Decolonist blog: Sydney Boomerangs and the Power of Description” https://archivaldecolonist.com/2017/06/.

Reflect on the readings in your journal.Assignment 1 due on Friday of Week 2.

Weekly ZOOM Discussion day & time to be decided in Week 1

WEEK 3 – January 25, 2021:Theoretical Background – Museum Inheritance: Problems / ChallengesContemporary museums have inherited standards formed well over a century ago that reflected then-current Euro/Western scientific ideas. Museums need to understand how this inheritance is still present and what this means for interpretation and approaches to museum work.

Readings: 1) Vanessa Watts, “Indigenous Place-Thought and Agency Amongst Humans and Non

Humans (First Woman and Sky Woman Go On a European World Tour!),” Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society, vol. 2, no. 1, 2013: 20-34.

2) Gloria Jean Frank, “‘That’s My Dinner on Display’: A First Nations Reflection on Museum Culture,” BC Studies; Vancouver, no. 125/126 (Spring 2000): 163–78.

OnQ Discussion: Post your journal response (or a selection of it) from this week, and reply to 2 posts by your classmates (50 words each). Posts must be done by Friday of Week 3.Journal must be submitted on Friday of Week 3. See Assignment 2.

Weekly ZOOM Discussion day & time to be decided in Week 1

WEEK 4 – February 1, 2021:Theoretical Background – Why Museums? Museums and Authority: The Role of Museums TodayMuseums are seen by society as educational institutions vested with a great deal of authority and trust. Museum content needs to provide information that does not perpetuate harmful stereotypes or points of view that only speak to one segment of society.

Readings: 1) Coco Fusco, “The Other History of Intercultural Performance”, in English Is Broken

Here: Notes on Cultural Fusion in the Americas (New York City, NY: New Press, 1997): 37-63.

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Optional video / documentary of Fusco’s performance as a caged Guatinau person for public display: The couple in the cage: A Guatinaui odyssey (1993).

2) Nathan Sentence, 21 July 2017, “Archival Decolonist blog: Maker unknown and the https://archivaldecolonist.com/2017/07/ .

No OnQ Discussion. Reflect on the reading in your journal.We will have private ZOOM / phone call to discuss your ideas for your Final Project. See Assignment 3. Weekly ZOOM Discussion day & time to be decided in Week 1

WEEK 5 – February 8, 2021:Theoretical Background – Decolonisation – What Does this Mean for Museums?To understand our place in lighting the 8th fire (see Simpson reading), we need to understand our roles in decolonisation. The work of museums needs to be reframed using decolonising principles even in exhibits that do not talk specifically about colonialism.

Readings: 1) Peter Morin, “My Life as a Museum, or, Performing Indigenous Epistemologies,” in

Sarah Brophy and Janice Hladki (eds), Embodied Politics in Visual Autobiography (University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing, 2014): 137-152.

2) Simpson, Leanne. “Oshkimaadiziig, the New People.” Lighting the Eighth Fire: The Liberation, Resurgence, and Protection of Indigenous Nations, edited by Leanne Simpson (Arbeiter Ring Pub, 2008): 13–21.

No OnQ Discussion. Reflect on the readings in your journal.Proposal for Final Assignment due on Friday of Week 5.

Weekly ZOOM Discussion day & time to be decided in Week 1

WEEK 6 – February 15, 2021 *Reading Week, no class*

WEEK 7 – February 22, 2021:Theoretical Background – Museum Exhibitions: Context and Meaning; Indigenous Perspectives and ExperiencesExhibitions need to specify world views and assumptions in content. When content is presented as if it is applicable to all visitors, this can alienate people who cannot relate to the perspectives being shared.

Readings: 1) Amy Lonetree, “The Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabe Culture & Lifeways:

Decolonization, Truth Telling, and Addressing Historical Unresolved Grief”, Decolonizing Museums: Representing Native America in National and Tribal Museums (University of North Carolina Press, 2012): 123-167.

OnQ Discussion: Post your journal response (or a selection of it) from this week, and reply to 2 posts by your classmates (50 words each). Posts must be done by Friday of Week 3.

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Weekly ZOOM Discussion day & time to be decided in Week 1

WEEK 8 – March 1, 2021:Practical Applications – “Nothing About Us, Without Us”; Building Relationships and PartnershipsAll aspects of museum programming (exhibits, research / publications, education) should not speak ‘about’ or ‘for’ Indigenous people or nations. Museums are seen as authoritative sources by visitors and need to provide the most accurate information possible.

Readings:1) Nathan Sentance, 28 December 2017, "Archival Decolonist blog post: Collaboration or

Exploitation", https://archivaldecolonist.com/2017/12/.2) Jordan Wilson, “Gathered Together: Listening to Musqueam Lived Experiences,”

Biography 39, no. 3 (2016): 469–94.

OnQ Discussion: Post your journal response (or a selection of it) from this week, and reply to 2 posts by your classmates (50 words each). Posts must be done by Friday of Week 8.

Journal must be submitted on Friday of Week 8. See Assignment 2.

Weekly ZOOM Discussion day & time to be decided in Week 1

WEEK 9 – March 8, 2021:Practical Applications – Authenticity: How to present Authentic / Authoritative Information; Difficult SubjectsUnderstanding limits of knowledge and expertise is important. Information must come directly from informed, authoritative sources. The process of presenting authoritative knowledge requires building relationships with people, both within and outside of the museum.

Readings: 1) Amy Lonetree, “Conclusion: Transforming Museums into ‘Places that Matter’ for

Indigenous People”, Decolonizing Museums: Representing Native America in National and Tribal Museums (University of North Carolina Press, 2012): 168-175.

2) Joeliee Seed-Pihama, “Naming our names and telling our stories,” in Jo-ann Archibald Q’Um Q’Um Xiiem et al., Decolonizing Research: Indigenous Storywork as Methodology (Zed Books, 2019): 107-119.

OnQ Discussion: Post your journal response (or a selection of it) from this week, and reply to 2 posts by your classmates (50 words each). Posts must be done by Friday of Week 9.

Weekly ZOOM Discussion day & time to be decided in Week 1

WEEK 10 – March 15, 2021:Practical Applications – Interpretation in Text and Labels: Adding Difference; Words Matter

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Interpretative information in museums needs to present multiple perspectives and understandings. Specific qualifying language shows who is speaking, and can make authoritative sources clear. Exhibit content often presents the point of view of one segment of society, mistakenly implying it applies to everyone.

Readings:1) Karen Coody Cooper, “Whose Heroes and Holidays”, in Spirited Encounters: American

Indians Protest Museum Policies and Practices (Lanham, MD: AltaMira Press, 2007): 105-120.

2) Paige Raibmon, “Provincializing Europe in Canadian History; Or, How to Talk about Relations between Indigenous Peoples and Europeans”, ActiveHistory.ca, 24 October, 2018, http://activehistory.ca/2018/10/provincializing-europe/?fbclid=IwAR0_fMcj_MLOtwgEikgcvSmm3ynyRWFhc4ul3lGHxTb7vY3CPiS2rSqHbzI.

OnQ Discussion: Post your journal response (or a selection of it) from this week, and reply to 2 posts by your classmates (50 words each). Posts must be done by Friday of Week 10.

Reminder: You have to re-visit your museum site for Assignment 1 this week or Week 11.

Weekly ZOOM Discussion day & time to be decided in Week 1

WEEK 11 – March 22, 2021:Practical Applications – Exhibiting Sacred and Ceremonial BelongingsKnowledge keepers in appropriate Indigenous community are the authorities for all aspects of display and interpretation of sacred, ceremonial and sensitive objects. Their decisions regarding these collections must be respected. This is important because museums are ethically obliged to follow the principles laid out in UNDRIP.

Readings: 1) “The Importance of the UNDRIP and the TRC to Museums”, Museums Association of

Saskatchewan Tip Sheet (2017).2) Karen Coody Cooper, “Claiming Our Own Places; Native Cultural Sites”, in Spirited

Encounters: American Indians Protest Museum Policies and Practices (Lanham, MD: AltaMira Press, 2007): 137-154.

3) “Responsible Exhibition and Interpretation of Indigenous Artifacts”, Museums Association of Saskatchewan Tip Sheet (2017).

OnQ Discussion: Post your journal response (or a selection of it) from this week, and reply to 2 posts by your classmates (50 words each). Posts must be done by Friday of Week 11.

Weekly ZOOM Discussion day & time to be decided in Week 1

WEEK 12 – March 29, 2021:Practical Applications – Exhibit Project Planning; Exhibit Preparation and Design

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Respectful collaborations take time and need to be built into the exhibit project planning stages from the very beginning. This is important because museums need to understand the time requirements for the appropriate authorities to be part of the process for mutually respectful and productive collaborations.

Readings: 1) Cynthia Chavez Lamar, “Collaborative Exhibit Development at the Smithsonian’s

National Museum of the American Indian”, in Amy Lonetree and Amanda Cobb (eds), The National Museum of the American Indian: Critical Conversations (Lincoln, Neb: University of Nebraska Press, 2009): 144-164.

2) Aanischaaukamikw. “Beyond Inclusion – Decolonising through Self-Representation in Eeyou Istchee.” ActiveHistory.Ca, 8 Mar. 2019, http://activehistory.ca/2019/03/beyond-inclusion-decolonising-through-self-representation-in-eeyou-istchee/

OnQ Discussion: Post your journal response (or a selection of it) from this week, and reply to 2 posts by your classmates (50 words each). Posts must be done by Friday of Week 12.

Journal must be submitted on Friday of Week 12. See Assignment 2.

Weekly ZOOM Discussion day & time to be decided in Week 1

WEEK 13 – April 5, 2021: Final class Conclusions / SummaryMuseums need to develop new narratives based on respect for multiple world views and the multiple sovereign Nations that exist across this land.

Readings:1) Garneau, David. “Imaginary Spaces of Conciliation and Reconciliation: Art, Curation,

and Healing.” Arts of Engagement: Taking Aesthetic Action In and Beyond the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, edited by Dylan Robinson and Keavy Martin (Wilfred Laurier University Press, 2016): 21–41.

No OnQ Discussion this week. Part 2 of Assignment 1 due on Friday of Week 13.

Weekly ZOOM Discussion day & time to be decided in Week 1

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Appendix

Grading Scheme and Grading Method

Queen’s Official Grade Conversion Scale

Grade Numerical Course Average (Range)

A+ 90-100 A 85-89 A- 80-84 B+ 77-79 B 73-76 B- 70-72 C+ 67-69 C 63-66 C- 60-62 D+ 57-59 D 53-56 D- 50-52 F 49 and below

Location and Timing of Final Examinations

There is no final exam for this course.

Statement on Academic Integrity

Academic Integrity is constituted by the six core fundamental values of honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage (see www.academicintegrity.org). These values are central to the building, nurturing and sustaining of an academic community in which all members of the community will thrive. Adherence to the values expressed through academic integrity forms a foundation for the "freedom of inquiry and exchange of ideas" essential to the intellectual life of the University (see the Senate Report on Principles and Priorities http://www.queensu.ca/secretariat/policies/senate/report-principles-and-priorities).

Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the regulations concerning academic integrity and for ensuring that their assignments conform to the principles of academic integrity. Information on academic integrity is available in the Arts and Science Calendar (see Academic Regulation 1 http://www.queensu.ca/artsci/academic-calendars/regulations/academic-regulations/regulation-1), on the Arts and Science website (see http://www.queensu.ca/artsci/academics/undergraduate/academic-integrity), and from the instructor of this course. Departures from academic integrity include plagiarism, use of unauthorized materials, facilitation, forgery and falsification, and are antithetical to the development of an academic community at Queen's. Given the seriousness of these matters, actions which contravene the regulation on academic integrity carry sanctions that can range from a warning or the loss of grades on an assignment to the failure of a course to a requirement to withdraw from the university.

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Accommodations for Disabilities

Queen's University is committed to achieving full accessibility for people with disabilities. Part of this commitment includes arranging academic accommodations for students with disabilities to ensure they have an equitable opportunity to participate in all of their academic activities. The Senate Policy for Accommodations for Students with Disabilities was approved at Senate in November 2016 (see https://www.queensu.ca/secretariat/sites/webpublish.queensu.ca.uslcwww/files/files/policies/senateandtrustees/ACADACCOMMPOLICY2016.pdf). If you are a student with a disability and think you may need academic accommodations, you are strongly encouraged to contact the Queen's Student Accessibility Services (QSAS) and register as early as possible.  For more information, including important deadlines, please visit the QSAS website at: http://www.queensu.ca/studentwellness/accessibility-services/

Academic Consideration for Students with Extenuating Circumstances

Queen’s University is committed to providing academic consideration to students experiencing extenuating circumstances that are beyond their control and are interfering with their ability to complete academic requirements related to a course for a short period of time, not to exceed three months. Students receiving academic consideration must meet all essential requirements of a course. The Senate Policy on Academic Consideration for Students in Extenuating Circumstances was approved at Senate in April, 2017 (see http://www.queensu.ca/secretariat/sites/webpublish.queensu.ca.uslcwww/files/files/policies/senateandtrustees/Academic%20Considerations%20for%20Extenuating%20Circumstances%20Policy%20Final.pdf) Each Faculty has developed a protocol to provide a consistent and equitable approach in dealing with requests for academic consideration for students facing extenuating circumstances. Arts and Science undergraduate students can find the Faculty of Arts and Science protocol and the portal where a request can be submitted at: http://www.queensu.ca/artsci/accommodations . Students in other Faculties and Schools who are enrolled in this course should refer to the protocol for their home Faculty.

If you need to request academic consideration for this course, you will be required to provide the name and email address of the instructor/coordinator. Please use the following:Instructor Name: Laura PhillipsInstructor Email Address: laura.phillips@queensu.ca

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