How do ethnographers work with Indigenous communities in Utah?

Have you ever wondered how ethnographers work with Indigenous communities here in Utah? It’s an important question. To get the answer, we sat down with NHMU’s Curator of Ethnography, Alexandra Greenwald, Ph.D. Check out her response below or continue reading to learn more.

Ethnographers work with the Indigenous communities of Utah in a variety of ways. At the Natural History Museum of Utah, working with tribal representatives is vital to our work. 

“We want to act as a conduit for Indigenous communities to tell their stories rather than acting as the authorities on these communities,” said Greenwald. “We engage in deep consultative processes to ensure we're caring for objects appropriately and we're developing our exhibits in a way that communities want to see.” 

As the Museum looks toward future projects, like new exhibitions, this collaborative process is at the forefront of the planning process. 

“Right now, we're developing an exhibit focused on basketry of Utah,” Greenwald explained. “What that has looked like is having tribal communities nominate co-curators to work with us at the museum to develop the look and feel, content, and objects in this exhibit. That is principally guided by our co-curators.” 

These conversations are not singular. Rather, they span the course of years, ensuring every aspect of the exhibition tells their stories in their preferred way. As ethnographers work with Indigenous communities (within or without a museum setting), this type of deep consultative work is crucial — ensuring that representatives from these communities can act as the ultimate authorities on the subjects or objects involved.