A Language Fair, a Community and a Museum

The Role of Museum Anthropology in Sustained and Responsive Engagement

Bibliographic Data

ID2435404
AuthorsDaniel C Swan (0000-0003-0906-2614), Mary S Linn (Smithsonian Institution)
Year2021
Volume15
Issue1
Pages54-70
Publication date2021-09-13
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueMuseum Anthropology Review (Indiana University) (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1938-5145 • E-ISSN: 1938-5145
PublisherI US ch ol ar Wo rk s (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.14434/mar.v15i1.32105
OpenAlexW3200802482
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited20

Founded in 2003 the Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair (ONAYLF) has become one of the largest gatherings of Native American language learners in the United States. The Fair is unquestionably the most significant and sustained interaction with Native American communities in the history of the Sam Noble Museum, quickly becoming a signature event that contributes to the museum's reputation and stature. As the Fair gained increased prominence and importance in the Native American communities of Oklahoma and the surrounding regions it was consistently marginalized within the institutional culture of the museum. Over the course of our respective leadership of the ONAYLF we encountered the continued need for anthropological intervention to 're-institutionalize' a very successful program. In this report we focus on specific impacts of this failed ownership and the anthropological methods employed to address them. We conclude with an assessment of the ONAYLF in terms of on-going efforts to decolonize museum practice

Ethnology · Indigenous · Language revitalization · Media studies · Native american · Political science · Reputation · Social science · Sociology · Educator Training and Historical Pedagogy · History · Indigenous Health, Education, and Rights · Multilingual Education and Policy

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Open DOIOpen Access