Visualizing Native America: Examining Depictions of Nativeness in Montana Institutional Spaces

Abstract

Museums, information centers, and monuments all serve as institutions that shape public memory. In Montana, a state with a large Native American population, these institutions contribute to the way that Native groups are remembered and perceived by the public. As pedagogical spaces, Montana institutions project a specific body of images that signals to viewers how to think about Native American culture. The current study extends the dialogue concerning the representation of Native American/indigenous peoples in various institutions and its impact on the dominant public, especially non-native audiences.