Virtual- Kansas Museum of History - Virtual Museum After Hours
"Decolonizing the Wakarusa Museum" - Claire Cox, historian
In this presentation, Claire Cox will share her research on decolonization using the Wakarusa River Valley Heritage Museum as a case study. The Wakarusa museum aims to preserve, collect, and share the history of the Wakarusa River Valley before the construction of Clinton Lake. However, since the museum's establishment in 1983, their exhibits imply that the region’s history began in the 1850s with Euro-American settlement. Indigenous history has been excluded from the narrative. Cox’s research seeks to understand how the practice of omittance promotes colonial spaces, as well as how this pattern can be interrupted through decolonization. Cox’s main goal is to bring Indigenous voices, perspectives, and stories into the Museum.
Register here for the live webinar.
This program will also stream live on the Kansas Historical Society YouTube channel.
