After a one-month delay, Heard Museum re-opened their popular boarding school exhibit “Away from Home: American Indian Boarding School Stories” last week after months of renovations and updates.
“We thought, well, after 18 years, it was a little dated in terms of photographs and rotate collections,” said Janet Cantley, the project manager of the renovation.
The exhibit, which first opened in 2000, is a firsthand experience through art and artifacts at what life in the Native American conversion boarding schools was like.
“The first exhibit was groundbreaking and there was nothing like it,” said Patty Talahongva, a Phoenix Indian School alumni. “We looked at the existing exhibit, Heard Museum, to find ways we could expand the story.”
Margaret Archuleta, the curator of the original exhibit, came up with the idea for it after years of research into the infamous boarding schools.
The exhibit was expected to stay open for only five years, but its importance and popularity made sure that it held a place at the museum for years to come.
American Indian boarding schools were originally used to strip children of their Native American identities. In some instances, the government would kidnap the children.
The kids could not speak, dress or act in a manner closely associated with their tribe or native heritage. The schools resembled military schools more so than any traditional classroom. School officials would shave the heads of the children, stripping them of yet another piece of their native heritage.
“There were certain touch points in the exhibits we knew we would keep,” Cantley said.
These included recreations, artwork and reclaimed wood. Many important artifacts and displays from the old exhibit were restored and placed in the new one.
Items like plaques, school uniforms and original artwork in the museum were donated by members of the communities, including boarding school alumni.
The updated exhibit was a collaborative effort and was expanded to include Native American history such as major Arizona state legislative acts involving tribes, achievements of Native students and a better focus on the contemporary issues of Native American education.
Some new features introduced in the new exhibit are the interactive monitor screens next to displays. The monitors include timelines and galleries that show important events relating to their corresponding artifacts.
The exhibit showcases many aspects of the boarding school experience. Re-creations include a bunk bed, a classroom and a barber chair. Striking quotes and statements line the walls.
“The exhibit would speak to or resonate with Native people, our own experiences or the experiences of our family members, parents and grandparents… to serve to educate and inform non-native viewership,” said K. Tsianina Lomawaima, a member of the advisory committee who oversaw the development of the exhibition.
Contact the reporter at Lzambra2@asu.edu.
