Abstract
Since the mid-twentieth century, indigenous claims have taken more and more strength, generating important transformations at the international level. The political recognition of their rights, as well as the strength and increase of their demands concerning their heritage, has forced museums with archaeological/ethnographic collections to rethink their foundations and their current work. Important museums have been created or reinvented in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. Following the international trend, in 1993 Chile recognized by law the existence of nine indigenous peoples descendants of pre-Hispanic societies in the national territory. With this, it seeks to integrate indigenous people into national history, revaluing their cultural difference as they are a foundational part of Chilean identity. What actions have national museums implemented to integrate indigenous people into their institutions? What types of relationships have national museums established that guard indigenous heritage with their source communities? Are national museums currently a space for intercultural dialogue? This research aims to answer these questions, gathering both the voice of national museums and that of indigenous people. This work is a contribution to museology, as it completes a gap in information about the relationship of museums with indigenous subjects in the multicultural era, as well as seeks to contribute to the construction of museological guidelines that advocate reconciliation.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Museums, Indigenous people, Multiculturalism, Chile
