NEW COLUMN ALERT: BREAKING DOWN "BREAKING THE GLASS CASE"

Breaking the Glass Case | Alexandra Forand

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Aniin, tansi, and hello! Welcome to the inaugural blog post of “Breaking the Glass Case.” I should mention that I am not originally from Toronto, but hail from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. When I first arrived in Toronto (like a true museum studies student) I went to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). The first gallery I visited was the Daphne Cockwell Gallery Dedicated to the First Peoples Art and Culture, mostly because it is free (like a true broke graduate student). As I walked the airy open hall I noticed the glass cases filled with Indigenous artifacts.

Daphne Cockwell Gallery Dedicated to the First Peoples Art and Culture on a Friday afternoon. Photo courtesy of Alexandra Forand 

Some of these objects were contemporary such as the Jane Ash Poitras paintings, others were older and more sacred such as the regalia of different Indigenous communities across Canada. One particular case jumped out at me right away. This case was entitled “Living Cultures,” and this specific case is concerned with telling the stories of Indigenous people today. At the far end of the case there is the Mohawk Family Life Group Diorama.

This diorama was created by Ulrich Dunbar and installed in the ROM in 1917. While this diorama was meant to showcase domestic activities it omits spiritual and intellectual life, presents a static picture of Mohawk life, and gives viewers a “cringeworthy” image of Indigenous people.

Picture of the original Mohawk Family Life Group Diorama. Photo Courtesy of Alexandra Forand. 

When the Daphne Cockwell Gallery reopened in 2017 the Mohawk Family Life diorama had undergone a renovation. The stone tools were replaced with modern technology such as iPods, power drills, and camera. The most notable intervention is the Great Seal of the Haudenosaunee which represents forms of Iroquoian government and social organization.

Update version of the Mohawk Family Life Group Diorama. Photo Courtesy of Alexandra Forand. 

The diorama is surrounded by a large wooden frame, which has a small golden plaque that says:

“You have a phrase called “Golden Age.” We do not want to be depicted the way we were, when we were first discovered in our homeland in North America. We do not want museums to continue to present us as something from the past. We believe we are very, very much here now, and we are going to be very important in the future.”
-- Georges Erasmus, Chief Assembly of First Nations, 1992

What do you guys think? Does the newly made over diorama represent modern Indigenous life? Or is the diorama another example of mishandled history? If it were up to you, what would you have done differently?

Senator Murray Sinclair said “reconciliation is not a spectator sport,” and I hope this blog can create a dialogue about the role of cultural heritage organizations and their participation in reconciliation. Beyond that, I want to hear from you, the readers, about what steps you see that are being taken (or you are taking) in the spirit of reconciliation. I want to learn from you, because I am in no means an expert on this topic and also journeying on this path of learning, understanding, and reconciliation. Please do not hesitate to contact me at allyforand@gmail.com or if twitter and instagram is more your speed my handle is @Ally_but_online. 

Breaking the Glass Case: Recent publications, such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (2007) and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Actions (2015), ask cultural heritage organizations to participate in national reconciliation and public education. These actions join the long history of indigenous people requests to redefine their place in cultural heritage organizations. This column is dedicated to exploring the history, development, and relationships between indigenous individuals, communities, and cultural heritage organizations.