"Curating Heritage in the Americas," February 2, 2007
In an effort to relate issues of identity and heritage between indigenous communities in both Latin America and the United States, IU Professor Jason Jackson, Assistant Professor and Language Instructor Quetzil Castañeda, and special guest Professor Paul Liffman from the University of Chicago were invited to speak about the construction of indigenous heritage in museums and tourist venues in Mexico and the United States.
Following these short presentations, there was a lively discussion of the issues raised in curating indigenous heritage. Concern was expressed about the impact of curatorial initiatives on the communities, and there was some discussion of how these initiatives in turn affect customary museum practices. One special treat was the presence of actor Gary Farmer who spoke about the face masks of his First Nation community in Canada, and the reluctance of his people to receive these masks due to the power they obtain once they have been "brought to life" through the appropriate rituals.
