northwest coast indigenous peoples
Permanent Hall, American Museum of Natural History
In 2021, the AMNH worked with indigenous leaders to revitalize the Hall of Northwest Coast Peoples. The project sought to elevate the voices of indigenous peoples and to engage with the museum's legacy of colonialism and paternalism.
The opening of the hall in 2021 was the culmination of five years of work by a dedicated team of conservationists, curators, writers, translators, preparators and scholars, and brought together an expansive range of vendors, materials, and fabrication methods.
My work on the project focused specifically on the artwork and perspective of contemporary indigenous peoples. I designed a display for photos and interviews with indigenous leaders discussing issues their communities continue to face. Screenprinting the words “We need to talk about racism” onto the walls of an institution that for so many years denied the dignity of indigenous peoples was an uncanny experience, and an important step in the work the museum is doing to dismantle its colonial practices.
