Overview

In September 2009, twenty-one members of the Haida Nation went to Oxford and London to work with several hundred heritage treasures at the Pitt Rivers Museum and the British Museum. The encounter set a new course for the relationships between the custodians of these cultural artifacts and the Indigenous people for whom the objects are a direct link to their past. Emotional and illuminating, tense and challenging, it was a transformative visit that none would soon forget. Featuring contributions from Haida and museum participants and a rich selection of illustrations, This Is Our Life details the remarkable story of the Haida Project. A fascinating look at the meaning behind objects, the value of repatriation, and the impact of historical trajectories like colonialism, this is also a tender story of the understanding that grew between the Haida visitors and museum staff. Beautifully written and illustrated, This Is Our Life offers a compelling view of the transformative potential of a conversation hundreds of years in the making.

Full Product Details

9780774825412

Table of Contents

Reviews

This inspirational book offers a fascinating ethnography .., The innovative multivocal presentation incorporates a range of opinions and emotions expressed by named curators, conservators, researchers, Elders, cultural descendants, and artists. The authors demonstrate the historical richness of museum collections and highlight their potential for community revitalization and cross-cultural understanding. -- Anita Herle, Senior Curator for Anthropology, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge This book offers honest insight into the logistics, dilemmas, anxieties, anger, and joy, which combined for a “bittersweet” experience for museum professionals and the Haida through the six months' preparations and during the three-week visit. -- Gillian Crowther * BC Studies *

This inspirational book offers a fascinating ethnography .., The innovative multivocal presentation incorporates a range of opinions and emotions expressed by named curators, conservators, researchers, Elders, cultural descendants, and artists. The authors demonstrate the historical richness of museum collections and highlight their potential for community revitalization and cross-cultural understanding. -- Anita Herle, Senior Curator for Anthropology, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge

Author Information

Cara Krmpotich is an assistant professor in the Museum Studies program at the University of Toronto. Laura Peers is a curator at the Pitt Rivers Museum and a reader in material anthropology in the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography at the University of Oxford.

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