UNI Museum exhibit “Whose Voice?'' asks visitors to question who has the authority to be telling the stories of indigenous cultures and how to present these stories to the public.   

Since their establishment by the Greeks, museums utilized colonialism as a means to collect and share the material culture of the world. In an attempt to position themselves as bastions of knowledge and truth, neutrality was sought, collecting from everyone without inserting their own intellectual agendas, political viewpoints, or personal expressions. Despite claims of neutrality, museums cannot deny how their colonial past has shaped their collecting and exhibiting practices. 

The UNI Museum was founded in 1892 by faculty collecting natural history from across the world. This group of educated white men set an early mission for the museum which continued throughout the 20th century. Hidden behind neutrality, the UNI Museum has an equally biased history. What voice do you choose? Explore the different perspectives and decide for yourself who has authority and how these stories should be shared. 

The opening reception of the exhibit will take place on October 11, 2021, from 4 - 6 p.m. on the 1st floor of Rod Library. The event is free and open to the public with remarks given at 4:15 p.m.