Natives at the Museum: Repatriation and the Reconceptualization in the Museum Space

In 2002, the Hood Museum returned a Tlingit Chilkat shirt to southeast Alaska. The shirt, which was said to have been made before the 1880s, had been in possession of Axel Rasmussen, the superintendent of schools in Wrangell, AK. After his death, it found its way into the possession of a New York City art dealer, and when it was not sold, it was donated to Dartmouth in 1959. 

Natives at the Museum: Past Imaginaries and Contemporary Realities

Museums originated from Western collectors displaying “artifacts” from other cultures. Indeed, many items in museum collections are there because they were donated by collectors of such “ethnic” artifacts. So, given this early practice of showcasing travels, conquest and wealth, what is the responsibility of the museum today? Do museums have an obligation to educate the public about other cultures and their history?

Natives at the Museum: Reflecting on colonial spaces through art

Native Americans and museums have historically had a tenuous relationship which is tied to the root of both what museums are meant to do and how much Native “art” over the years has made it into museums. I am by no means an expert, but I will attempt to provide some context on this subject. I am Tlingit, a tribe native to southeastern Alaska. I am Raven moiety from the Ganaxteidi clan. My Tlingit name is Andaxjoon. I am a beginning student of my language, which I have tried to use in this piece, though English grammar has been applied to some of them for the purposes of the article. Some items created by Tlingit people are in possession of the Hood Museum of Art, and thus, I will mostly be using those as examples in this article because they are the items on which I have the most authority to speak.

The Accidental Fan: Episode VIII: The Last Column

Over the course of summer 2018 and winter 2019, I have written 14 installations of this column. At its inception, I was excited to bring to light the musings of someone who likes sports but doesn’t always understand them.

The Accidental Fan: The Return of My Boy Benny… And Others (Who Are Less Relevant)

Have you ever experienced that feeling when your favorite character gets phased out of a television show or maybe just gets mercilessly killed off?

The Accidental Fan: What is a sport?

Neither dance nor football is easy. Both take extreme skill and stamina. But while football is inarguably a sport, I wonder if dance can be classified as such.

The Accidental Fan: Toto, I've a Feeling We’re Not in the Ivy League Anymore

I went to my first ECHL game in December. This season, the Maine Mariners are back in Portland, affiliated with the National Hockey League’s New York Rangers

The Accidental Fan: May the Red Sox be with you

Naturally, each of us has a hierarchy of things we like to do. For a lot of my family from Alaska, watching the Seahawks is very, very high on their list.

The Accidental Fan: The Game Day Experience

The Accidental Fan: GOOAALLL!!!

In this column over the summer, I explored how I became an “Accidental Fan” and the many different ways that all types of fans can engage with sports.