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Negotiating the Master Narrative: Museums

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Negotiating the Master Narrative: Museums NEGOTIATING THE MASTER NARRATIVE: MUSEUMS AND THE INDIAN/CALIFORNIO COMMUNITY OF CALIFORNIA'S CENTRAL COAST by DEANA DAWN DARTT-NEWTON A DISSERTATION Presented to the Department ofAnthropology and the Graduate School ofthe University ofOregon in partial fulfillment ofthe requirements for the degree of Doctor ofPhilosophy March 2009 11 "Negotiating the Master Narrative: Museums and the Indian/Californio Community of California's Central Coast," a dissertation prepared by Deana Dawn Dartt-Newton in partial fulfillment ofthe requirements for the Doctor ofPhilosophy degree in the Department ofAnthropology. This dissertation has been approved and accepted by: Date Committee in charge: Dr. Lynn Stephen, Co-chair Dr. Brian Klopotek, Co-chair Dr. Jon M. Erlandson Dr. Shari Huhndorf Roberta Reyes Cordero Accepted by: Dean ofthe Graduate School 111 © 2009 Deana Dawn Dartt-Newton IV An Abstract ofthe Dissertation of Deana Dartt-Newton for the degree of Doctor ofPhilosophy in the Department of Anthropology to be taken March 2009 Title: NEGOTIATING THE MASTER NARRATIVE: MUSEUMS AND THE INDIAN/CALIFORNIO COMMUNITY OF CALIFORNIA'S CENTRAL COAST C tynn Stephen, PhD Approved: In California, third and fourth grade social science curriculum standards mandate an introduction to Native American life and the impacts of Spanish, Mexican, and "American" colonization on the state's indigenous people. Teachers in the state use museums to supplement this education. Natural history and anthropology museums offer programs for teaching third graders about native pre-contact life, while Missions and regional history museums are charged with telling the story ofsettlement for the state's fourth graders. Clearly, this fact suggests the centrality ofmuseums and Missions to education in the state. Since only one small tribe on the central coast has federal recognition, non-tribal museums are the only public voice about Indian life. These sites however, rarely address v hardships experienced by native people, contributions over the past 150 years, the struggles for sovereignty in their homelands, and a variety of other issues faced by living Indian people. Instead, these sites often portray essentialized homogenous notions of Indiamless which inadvertently contribute to the invisibility ofcoastal Native peoples. This dissertation analyzes visual museum representations in central coast museums and Missions and the perspectives oflocal Native American community members about how their lives and cultures are portrayed in those museums. Using methods of critical discourse analysis, the dissertation seeks to locate discontinuities between the stories museums tell versus the stories Indian people tell. It addresses these ruptures through a detailed analysis ofalternative narratives and then offers suggestions to museum professionals, both in California and elsewhere, for incorporating a stronger native voice in interpretive efforts. ----------- VI CURRICULUM VITAE NAME OF AUTHOR: Deana Dawn Dartt-Newton PLACE OF BIRTH: Encino, California DATE OF BIRTH: March 14,1966 GRADUATE AND UJ'JDERGRADUATE SCHOOLS ATTENDED: University ofOregon Ventura Community College DEGREES AWARDED: Doctor ofPhilosophy in Anthropology, 2009, University ofOregon Master ofArts in Anthropology, 2003, University ofOregon Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, 2001, University of Oregon Associate ofArts in Anthropology, 1999, Ventura Community College AREAS OF SPECIAL INTEREST: Native American History Museum Representation California Indians and Other Pacific Maritime Cultures Cultural Resurgence and Revitalization Indigenous Methodologies VB PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Teaching Assistantship, Department ofAnthropology, University of Oregon, Eugene, 2007 Teaching Assistantship, Department ofAnthropology, University ofOregon, Eugene, 2006 Teaching Assistantship, Department ofAnthropology, University ofOregon, Eugene,2005 Lectureship, Department ofAnthropology, University ofOregon, Eugene, 2005 GRANTS, AWARDS AND HONORS: Dissertation Writing Fellowship, Ford Foundation, 2007-08 Target of Opportunity Laurel Award, University ofOregon, 2003-08 Mc Nair Scholars Program, University ofOregon, 2001-02 PUBLICATIONS: Dartt-Newton, Deana, and Jon M. Erlandson 2006 Little choice for the Chumash: Cattle, colonialism, and coercion in Mission Period California. American Indian Quarterly 30, nos. 3-4: 416­ 30. Erlandson, Jon, and Deana Dartt 2002 The archaeology and ethnohistory ofKashtayit (CA-SBA-1491): A late period and historic Chumash village. Proceedings ofthe Societyfor California Archaeology 2002 15:25-34. Vlll ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to express sincere appreciation to Professors Lynn Stephen and Brian Klopotek for their assistance in the preparation ofthis manuscript. I have such appreciation for your insight and commitment to my work. I also wish to acknowledge Shari Huhndorf, who has taken the time to mentor me through this process, in spite of her incredibly full life. And, special thanks are due to Jon Erlandson, who was the reason I traveled to Oregon almost ten years ago and who has been a constant source of encouragement and support. I also wish to thank members ofthe Ohlone, Esselen, and Chumash Nations, whose words affirmed that this was an important and worthwhile project, and whose precious time away from family and work I appreciate more that I can say. I pray that this project has an impact on how your stories are told in your homelands-homelands that were stolen from you again and again. Special acknowledgment is due to all ofthe museum professionals and volunteers who gave oftheir time with the sincere hope that this project would help you make changes in your museums. I hope you can use these pages to begin the process. Julie Codero-Lamb and Monique Sonoquie were always available to laugh and help me keep things in perspective. Pat and Robin Mills helped to keep us sane through it all. There have been many who have contributed to my pool ofstrength and hope: my IX sister Leslie, who loves me no matter what; my lovely ladies in the DWG, for your sincerity, humility, and wit; and all ofour Cottage Grove family who provided child care, meals, and other forms of love and support during trying times. Thank you all. x DEDICATION To my loving husband Virgil, my daughter Allukoy, and my wise elders Jeanne "Owl" Harrison, John Ruiz, and Roberta Reyes Cordero. Me'schumawesh. Xl TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION 1 Background ." 1 Development and Critique ofthe Dominant Narrative 6 Organization ofthe Dissertation 12 Theoretical Position 16 II. DEFINING THE "INDIAN": THE HISTORIC NARRATIVE OF NATIVE CALIFORNIA 19 Pre-history: Constructions ofArchaeology and Linguists 20 Culture Areas and Other Anthropological Notions 25 Native Perspectives on Origins 29 Historians and the Settlement ofCalifornia 35 Spanish Period 1769-1821 .37 Life in the Spanish Missions .41 Mexican Period 1821-1848 47 Anglo-American Invasion, Statehood and Beyond .49 Land Tenure, Sovereignty, and Tribal Recognition 55 The Ohlone 56 The Churnash 58 Conclusions 62 III. CASTE, CLASS, AND CALIFORNIO IDENTITY 67 Historic Background ofAlta California Settler Population 69 Identity and Erasure ofIndigeneity inNew Spain 72 Recruitment and Settlement in Alta California 76 Identities in Alta California 80 Anglo-American Invasion: Legislating Minority Status 90 Conclusions 97 XlI Chapter Page IV. SCRIPTING A FANTASY HISTORY: THE ROLE OF MUSEUMS IN SHAPING MEMORY 101 History ofMuseums in California 105 Mission as Museum 108 Science and History Venues 109 State Indian Museum: Alternative Narrative? 111 Conclusions 116 V. NOSTALGIA AS EPISTEMOLOGY: MISSION MUSEUM REPRESENTATIONS 118 Methods 119 Modes ofExhibition: The '"Erasure" and '"Progress" Narratives 123 Rhetorical Strategy 1: Symbolic Annihilation and Erasure ofIndians 127 Perfunctory Inclusion 128 Euphemisms and Passive Voice 134 Universalizing and Ahistorical 136 Narratives ofWhiteness 140 Rhetorical and Political Strategy 2: Trivialization and Deflection 146 Rhetorical Strategy 3: Segregated Knowledge 148 Rhetorical Strategy 4: Relative Incorporation or Complicating the Narrative 151 Conclusions 155 VI. LOSS AND THE POPULAR IMAGINARY: HISTORY AND SCIENCE MUSEUMS 159 Methods 163 Critical Discourse Analysis 165 A Vanished People: Archaeological!Anthropological Museums 166 Lompoc Museum 166 Albinger Archaeological Museum 169 Oakbrook Regional Park, Chumash Interpretive Center 172 One with Nature: Science and Natural History Museums 175 Pacific Gove Museum ofNatural History 176 Morro Bay Museum ofNatural History 178 Pismo Beach Nature Center 180 Santa Barbara Museum ofNatural History 182 X111 Chapter Page Hooray for Progress: Local and Regional History Museums 187 Pacific House Historical Museum 187 Paso Robles Pioneer Museum 190 Ventura County Museum ofHistory and Art .191 Stagecoach Inn Museum........................................................................ 194 Conclusions 195 VII. COMMUNITY PERCEPTIONS AND ALTERNATIVE NARRATIVES 199 Methods 201 Community Perceptions ofCurrent Museum Representations and Practices 206 Extinct 207 Primitive 207 Oversimplified and Avoid Hard Truths 209 Poor Use ofMaterials 211 Impacts ofMis-education and Skewed Public Memory 214 Historic Trauma 217 Mistrust and Internalized Racism 220 Identity Gate-keeping 221 Skewed Public Memory 228 Struggles for Sovereignty 230 Alternative Narratives, Hubs ofEmpowerment 234 Survival and Ethnic Mixing 234 Beyond the Era ofInvisibility .235 Cultural Heritage Management and Site Protection .236 Community Cultural
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