C. Kurt Dewhurst (Michigan State University)
The social contract between museums and the communities they serve is being renegotiated in many settings and entails addressing every element of museum practice. Using examples of collaborations with Native Americans and communities in Southwest China and Mainland Southeast Asia, this presentation will focus on ways in which folklorists and cultural heritage workers based in or working with museums are testing models for changes largely related to collections. These include addressing who collects and why; how collections are formed; how collections are cared for and by whom; who has access to collections; and how collections are interpreted and used.
Part of 02-07 Minority Peoples, Expressive Culture, and Heritage in—and from—the Southeast Asian Massif, Part 2, Thursday, November 02, 10:30 am–12:30 pm