Excited to be taking Beyond GLAM Land Acknowledgments: Activating Decolonization and Indigenization in Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums Micro-credential this fall. Thank you to the RBC Centre for Emerging Artists and Designers at OCADU for this generous opportunity!
This micro-credential critically examines the work of the galleries, libraires, archives, and museums (GLAM) with a view to make space for new ways of being through practical and theoretical discussions of how to apply decolonizing and Indigenizing actions to these spaces.
In the traditional museum/archive, curators, staff members, and researchers are trained to respectfully care for, research, learn from, interpret and display artwork, objects, and specimens. These items are equally recognized and referred to as Ancestors, Beings, and Belongings. We will explore how to rethink our work from the foundational level of what we do – including what we do in our day to day lives, through close examinations of the words of contemporary Indigenous scholars and curators. Topics include positioning yourself, critiquing written and unwritten narratives, critiquing authenticity and authority, and decolonizing exhibition content. We will think together about how to put these words into practice to de-centre colonial ways of thinking, and in doing so, learn how our work in GLAM can interrupt and unsettle dominant narratives in our society.
As both facilitators are based in what is now known as Ontario, our discussions will primarily focus on Turtle Island, but the topics covered are of relevance internationally.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon the successful completion of this micro-credential, students will have gained:
An understanding of appropriate terminologies
An understanding of how to create decolonizing texts and labels
Skills in developing strategies for building relationships and partnerships
The awareness to identify challenges with museums and institutional inheritances
Skills in developing strategies for decolonizing museums and institutional practices
A critical evaluation of how settlers contribute and benefit from colonialism, privilege and how to activate changes
An understanding of the implications of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) for GLAM, especially in relation to exhibitions, databases, research, collections, and collecting