Originally established in 1998, the Tibet Museum in Dharamshala, India, reopened with a new location and a new vision in February 2022. As part of the Tibetan Government in Exile, the museum’s leaders see it as the authority on Tibetan cultural representation. Contesting China’s ‘official’ narrative of Tibet’s history, and supported primarily through US and European sources, the Tibet Museum navigates issues of coloniality at many turns. By incorporating progressive methods in museology with culturally derived notions of value, permanence, and care, the Tibet Museum uses its status to refute oppressive narratives and tell a collective story through individual voices.
Part of 07-04 Exalting the Folk at the Feet of Himalaya: Representations of Folklore in Himachal Pradesh, India [hybrid], Saturday, October 15, 8:30 am–10:00 am