Name: The Day-to-Day Work of Decolonizing a Museum
Start: 2026-01-19T11:30:00-08:00
End: 2026-01-19T12:45:00-08:00
Location: UVic Anthropology

ANTHROPOLOGY COLLOQUIUM SERIES
The Day-to-Day Work of Decolonizing a Museum
Dr. Sharon Fortney: Senior Curator of Indigenous Collections, Engagement and Repatriation, Museum of Vancouver
Monday, January 19th, 2026
11:30 am – 12:45 pm
Cornett B235
Dr. Sharon Fortney, Senior Curator of Indigenous Collections, Engagement and Repatriation at MOV, will present on the day to day work of decolonizing a civic museum. She will discuss some of the historical legacies that must be acknowledged and addressed to reframe the museum's role as a colonial institution to one that prioritizes and supports Indigenous self determination. Effective change happens when this work is multifaceted and involves both staff and governance.
Sharon Fortney is a member of the Klahoose First Nation and holds a doctorate in Anthropology from UBC, where her studies focused on Coast Salish Ethnography, Indigenous Memory and Identity and Material Culture Studies. She recently curated "The Work of Repair: Redress and Repatriation at the Museum of Vancouver." She is currently working on a Knowledge Repatriation Initiative about Salish coiled cedar root basketry and a book about Ay Lelum - the Good House of Design on behalf of the Good family of Snuneymuxw First Nation. She will soon begin consultation for a Coast Salish art exhibition titled: Traditional Territory: The Resurgence of Salish Culture and Storied Landscapes.
EVERYONE WELCOME