Free to the public, this lecture will explore the social shift of decolonization in museums and the expansion of Native expression. Felicia Bartley (MA, Public Humanities) will discuss how Native North American communities have self-determined diverse language and cultural practices for thousands of years. Through the lens of her experience as a Tiwa woman and Curator of Native American and Indigenous History, Felicia will provide an overview on the harmful museum practices that have reaffirmed non-Native assumptions of indigeneity, censorship of Native voices and the attempt to undermine our political and cultural sovereignty.

This discussion will reorient cultural awareness, inclusivity, and expand the view of Native identity—past and present, while highlighting Native art as a living, evolving form of storytelling.

The public lecture will be held at UConn’s Avery Point campus, a discussion on ‘In Our Own Words: Museums, Memory and Native Expression’, Free and open to the public limited seating available.