Date of Award
2019
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
History
Abstract
This dissertation argues that the foundation and development of tribal museums in the Great Lakes region is a form of activism -- a deliberate action performed for the purpose of inciting positive political, social, cultural, and/or economic change -- and that the functions of tribal museums enable Native activism to continue and evolve to reflect and address new historical understandings and contemporary circumstances. I argue that in the Great Lakes region, Native activism continued beyond the highly publicized movement of the 1960s and 70s, and manifested in ways suited to address regionally and tribally-based needs. Control over interpretations of the past have been used as a means of oppression. This dissertation demonstrates how, through the development of tribally-run museums, tribal communities in the Great Lakes region have utilized the past as a weapon for regaining power.
Recommended Citation
McChesney, Meagan, "Exhibiting Sovereignty: Tribal Museums in the Great Lakes Region, 1969-2010" (2019). Dissertations. 3353.
https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/3353
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Copyright Statement
Copyright © 2018 Meagan Mcchesney
