Interpreting Native American History and Culture at Museums and Historic Sites

Raney Bench has a Bachelors of Art in Native American Studies and a Master of Arts in Museum Studies. She has worked with Native communities and small museums throughout the United States for almost 20 years.

• PrefaceChapter 1 Knowing the History: A brief history of federal Indian policyChapter 2 Getting Started Chapter 3 Consultation with Tribes and Advice from the Field, by Kelli Mosteller and R. Blake NortonChapter 4 Building Partnerships and Authority SharingCase Study: Native Voices: A permanent gallery at the Natural History Museum of Utah, by Becky Menlove Chapter 5 Taking Responsibility for Museum History and Legacy, and Promoting Change in Collections Management.Case Study: The Abbe Museum: Seeking A Collaborative Future throughDecolonization, by Darren Ranco and Julia ClarkChapter 6 Establishing Tribal Partners in Education and Public ProgramsCase Study: Portland Art Museum: Object Stories: Connecting Collections with Communities, by Deana Dartt and Michael MurawskiChapter 7 Pulling it all Together- Native Advisory Councils and Governance Case Study: Collaborating with Cultures: The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, by James H. NottageChapter 8 Review and Final ThoughtsAppendix One: Timeline of federal-Indian policyAppendix Two: Activity to Understand Stereotypes and BiasIndexAbout the Author

[A] cohesive and illuminating book. . . .useful for instructors and students of museum studies, public history, cultural heritage management, and similar fields. It can serve professionals who want to improve relations with indigenous communities. Perhaps most importantly, I foresee an important role for this book among professionals and researchers seeking funding: Bench provides robust evidence explaining why museum–Native American cooperation requires certain pacing and specific kinds of resources for projects to be successful. Interpreting Native American History and Culture at Museums and Historic Sites can help native and nonnative professionals and researchers interpret, for their funders and their publics, the value of the process as well as the end product.