The First Americans Museum (FAM) opened in September 2021 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to uniquely present the histories, arts, and diverse cultures of the 39 tribal nations located in Oklahoma. The inaugural exhibitions, "OKLA HOMMA: Tribal Nations Gallery" and "WINIKO: Life of an Object, Selections from the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian," were prepared by an all-Indigenous curatorial team. Utilizing their broad knowledge base, drawing from lifetimes of community engagement with their cultures, combined with formal educations in diverse fields, the team asserted Indigenous cultural philosophies within the galleries. Borrowing from their cultural toolboxes, the team used a curatorial methodology brought by heather ahtone, senior curator, to the project's benefit. The methodology focuses on four core cultural tenets: Respect, Reciprocity, Relationships, and Responsibility (referred to as the 4Rs). This presentation will elaborate on how the methodology was cultivated and employed successfully for the museum's development and how it continues to inform the research and exhibition work carried forward. This conversation explores how Indigenous American cultural philosophies provide practical guides on how to be museum professionals. Illustrations will show how these philosophies were embodied within a formalized methodology and applied practically to every level of work required to fulfill the 26,000 square feet of galleries in FAM’s South Wing.

About the Speaker: Dr. heather ahtone is the Director of Curatorial Affairs at the First Americans Museum.

This lecture is part of the "Reparative Histories of Art", a project of the Department of History of Art & Architecture and funded by the A W Mellon Foundation.