The colonization of Greenland by Denmark was unusual as due to the political structure of Greenland, which consisted of no unified structure of power that spanned wider than individual households, as such there was no one to contend with Denmark when the seized power in the 18th century in an attempt to compete with Dutch tradesmen and whalers, the colonization of Greenland included 70-80 miles beyond the coast, thereby allowing Denmark to monopolize trade and fishing rights. Due the historical context the colonization of Greenland was peaceful with no military action being taken. The National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen has a permanent Arctic exhibition and Ethnographic treasure collection that reflects Greenland's standing and past with Denmark. A text panel immediately upon entry to the exhibitions states “Danish expeditions, missionaries and merchants rediscovered Greenland in the 17th century” , this appears to be the attitude of Denmark towards the colonization of Greenland, due to the combination of the peaceful nature of colonization and the previous Norse settlements in Greenland during medieval ages and as such has been regarded as Danish-Norwegian territory since 1260 AD.
The Arctic exhibition is part of their overall “Peoples of the Earth” exhibition, the main exhibition is concentric, a series of rooms that surround a large temporary exhibitions hall, as you can see in the image 1 in the appendix. The concentric layout of the museum complements a thematic style of exhibition that tells the story of in Danish expeditions to Greenland, as well as the culture of Greenland. Three rooms are dedicated to the arctic exhibitions; these are rooms 170-172 on the floor plan presented in image 1, two of these three rooms a...
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...ne, S.D., 1991. Exhibiting cultures: The poetics and politics of museum display.
Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, B., 2004, From ethnology to heritage: The role of the museum, In: B.M. Carbonell,, 2012. Museum Studies: An anthology of contexts. Oxford: Blackwell publishing. pp. 199-205
Lord, B., Lord, G.D. and Martin L. ed., Manual of museum planning.3rd ed. New York: Altamira
“People of the Earth.” The National Museum of Denmark. Ny Vestergade 10, 1220 København, Denmark. 17th April, 2014
Petersen, R., 1992. Colonialism as seen from a former colonized area. Arctic Anthropology, 32(2), p. 118-126
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The unit readings argue that anthropologists insist that global flows also partake in affecting local practices. The beliefs and customs of the Inuit are accounted for their interaction with the environment, but these factors also interrelate with neighbouring societies, global capitalism, and international NGOs, as Martha of the North describes. The Inuit were used by the Canadian government in a form of racism and cruelty. To affirm sovereignty in the vast arctic land, Canada had to have permanent residences residing within these territories. They had created a façade that they were providing the Inuit with the opportunity of a better life when in reality, they did not care about them at all. The government had less than honest intentions. What the people who represented the nation did to the relocation of the Inuit is unacceptable and its effect can be explained through holism but also goes beyond the concept on an international scale. Global practices influenced the local practices of the Inuit in the High Arctic. The government representatives of Canada at that time did not value the lives of these people and only cared about their own
In this context, the opening of the Ulster Folk Museum, located in Cultra in County Down, Northern Ireland (and now linked to the Ulster Transport Museum), in 1964, might theoretically be seen as a strategy in the ongoing attempted maintenance of unionist hegemony and social control in Northern Ireland. This might especially be assumed in that the early 1960s were a time when pressure for reform in Northern Ireland was increasing, and when the governing unionist coalition was fracturing, partly under the strains of early deindustrialisation.[8] Such a tourist site might also be seen as a propagandistic effort to appeal for political support (or reduced political opposition) from those with ancestral links to Ulster and its “traditions” in the wider diaspora. There are however manifold reasons for thinking that it may be rather too tempting to exaggerate the political intentions behind the formation of such a museum at such a time. Foucauldian notions of the exertion of knowledge-power over the human body have been rightly criticized (even when applied to more favourable contexts) in that they fail properly to address complicated questions of agency and the issue of in whose interest any given strategy was exerted.
In Stephen Weil’s essay, he argues “the museum’s role has transformed from one of mastery to one of service” (Weil, 196). According to him, museums have changed their mission from one that cultures the public to one that serves
In addition, decolonization in this paper will mean the reverse cycle of the colonizing process, but also understanding culture is always changing and Indigenous peoples need historical traditions and ceremonies but our culture also evolves and there’s a mixture of Indigenous ways of knowing and being and also incorporating western ways of knowing and doing. All perspectives offer benefits such as these two diverse perspectives. Colonization will be used, this word’s meaning for this paper is the idea that Europeans came over to what we now call North America and claimed the land and stated they discovered a n...
The Arctic is an area above the imaginary line of the Arctic Circle, which is latitude 66.6° north (Smith, 2009). This is a hostile and unforgiving place, with freezing temperatures and 24 hours of darkness in winter (Smith, 2009). Nevertheless, one particular place of interest is Devon Island, which has many seasonal hunting grounds such as Cape Liddon – see exhibit one. Although Devon Island is uninhabited today, past settlers survived harsh conditions by exploiting coastal and inland resources for thousands of years. Interestingly, between 1982 and 1987, archaeologists found 163 sites on the island (Helmer, 1991). These sites contained thousands of animal bones, various stone and bone tools dating back 4500 years (Helmer, 1991). Coincidently, the multipurpose ulu knife – see exhibit two – originates from the similar time period, which is traditionally used for processing animals for food and clothes (Crowell & Prusinski, n.d.). Also, it is believed that indigenous people created carvings such as small face masks, for interacting with spirits (Zságer, 2010). Funnily enough, a modern day mask – see in exhibit three – looks similar to a 3500 year old ivory face mask found on Devon Island (CMCC, 2013). Nonetheless, today some people call this traditional ecological knowledge, which refers to knowledge, beliefs and practices, in sustainable use of ...
Vikings were a Norse-speaking, seafaring people who lived from the 8th to 11th centuries, mainly in Scandinavia. They were expert sailors who, starting in late 700s, looted and burned civilizations along rivers and coasts of Europe and Asia. They traded, sailed and explored across the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, opening trade routes that connected Europe to the Mediterranean lands. During this time, some of the population settled in the kingdoms that they were exploring; namely England, Ireland, northern France and Russia. One of the main influences that the surrounding cultures had on them was through religion. As the Vikings came in contact with Christianity through their raids, it began to form a unique fusion of Christian influence, while still holding on to many aspects of their pagan lifestyle. Not many primary sources remain from pre-Christian Viking society as much of their culture was destroyed during the Christianization process. The extremely strong oral tradition and the artifacts that remain are what the knowledge of the culture is based on. The pagan culture interests me, as I can still examine influences of it on my Scandinavian family today.
For the purposes of this discussion we will focus on the lives of the Inuit. The Inuit are a group of people often mischaracterized as Eskimos. They lived in the area of central and northeastern Canada and Greenland. There has been much discussion of the orignination of this group of people but the most recognized theory is that they crossed from northern Asia across thin bridge of land over the Bering Strait sometime around 6000-2000 BC. Many people mistakenly think that the Inuit and Native Americans are one in the same. It seems that the Inuit most likely came from Asia more likely than the Native Americans. Although both probably came to the Americas through the Bering Strait. Biological, cultural and dialect differences show the different origin. Much of this theory is supported due to the close resemblance of the Inuit to the Mongoloid races of Eastern Asia. Because of the harsh land and climate of the Arctic, this area was probably one of the last regions to be inhabited making the Inuit on of the earth’s younger cultures.
Analyzing the Norse Collapse from Diamond’s view, the first factor that he examines is the environmental damage aspect. He states that “The Greenland Norse damaged their environment in at least three ways: by destroying the natural vegetation, by causing soil erosion, and by cutting turf” (Diamond, p.248). Diamond believes that when the Vikings arrived, they began burning woodlands to clear areas for their livestock, and cut many trees down for shelter and firewood. When the Greenlanders began raising animals such as cows, sheep and goats, the amount of fodder for the animals increased, which in turn increased the amount of farming they had to do to maint...
Are you a fan of inspiring warriors, battle tactics, and weapons? Then, Vikings are your answer. Vikings were pagans but also rich in traditions. The Vikings’ reputation as daring masters of the sea mainly is derived from their obsession with ships. The Vikings were known as great warriors because of their offensive and defensive tactics. They used weapons as tools for combat as well as symbols of status and wealth. The Vikings history will fill your cranium with information about inspiring warriors, battle tactics, and weapons.
‘Savage Beauty’ was an exhibition that pushed the boundaries of museology, in its artistic, social and critical undertakings. The questions brought to bear by the exhibition of contemporary art and culture in various situations is something I am interested in researching further with a degree in curating.
A native viewers describe this museum as a “Vehicle”, to bring educational messages to the American public that tribes by themselves cannot do. Overall, the museum as civic and social space is, to be sure, a new and vital direction for the NMAI. It is a thought-provoking museum that raises the question of Native American identity past, present and future.They treated the land with respect. Wonderful art by talented indigenous folk.
We visited the Museo Nacional De Antropologa in Madrid, and were assigned to analyse the Asian Room, which is focused particularly on the Philippine Islands because of their historical colonisation with Spain. The display of things in a museum are things that we look at as something that is outside of normal. In contrast to the movie or movies, where scenes substantially show how the person felt and dealt with situations and tools from their own perspective, with their own knowledge and experience and through different means such as real images, sounds, language and others produces a different knowledge on the racial discourse. When looking at exhibitions in museums the other culture is unknown, and almost uncomfortable to us, but in movies we can be standing in their shoes.
In the earliest years of the Vikings, there was little history recorded due to the polytheistic views that they followed. After the Vikings converted to Christianity, there were eventually written documents created pertaining to their existence. In Viking Warfare, I.P. Stephenson states that the Vikings “first described attack took place in AD 789”(11). The Vikings were also known as Norsemen. They were great storytellers, and that is perhaps how society knows so much about them today. The stories that the Norsemen told were called Sagas. Today, Vikings are often depicted as murderous savages, but while they were not pillaging villages they were actually quite a peaceful civilization. There were three countries that Vikings evolved from; Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. Although it may seem that all Vikings were on the same side, they quarreled with each other as well. Despite the fact that Viking battles were bloody and gruesome they were also known to be the most hygienic out of many of the earlier civilizations. There was not a huge percentage of Vikings that went out and raided but when they did they made a huge impact on what Vikings are now known for. The success of Viking warfare and raids relied primarily on the uses of armor, weapons, long ships, and battle tactics.
Ancell, H., “Final bid to halt Ulster Museum extension plan”, Building Design, Issue no. 1784, Aug 2007, pg. 6
One may find hard to define museum as it has acquired so many different connotations. In general, a museum is an institution that conserves a collection of artefacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance, which are made available for public viewing through exhibits. Museums play important roles in the society. Joseph Veach Noble, a distinguished president of the American Association of Museums briefly described five basic responsibilities of every museum: to collect, to conserve, to study, to interpret, and to exhibit.