By Chelsea Zhao
Staff Writer
Rebecca Crown Librarian showcases the vibrancy and strength of Indigenous culture as well as the historical trauma of the community.
Estevan Montaño, university librarian, is the brilliant mind behind this constellation of artifacts from 16 Indigenous tribes. The geographic span represented reach from as far north as Alaska to as far south as Bolivia.
The curation of all the items took one week and the installation took two weeks. Montaño said most of the artifacts are from his personal collection with inputs from friends and family.
The exhibit is divided into six sections that flank the circulation desk at the library. The collection include Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (WWIM) with federal statistics and a QR code, the tapestry from the Shipibo people of the Amazon Forest, three-dimensional textile murals from Indigenous women in Peru, Medical Wheel of South Dakota that represents four dimensions in Indigenous spirituality, pelt of the Arctic Fox from Inuit, Buffalo dancer from New Mexico, etc.
“So the process of getting the artifacts and putting the exhibit together was deciding what was feasible and what would fit in the space and where items can go,” Montaño said. “In order that they can be displayed to their maximum potential and create an opportunity for an educational outlet to explain what the artifacts are, where they are coming from, and how they might be used in those individual cultures.”
Montaño started working at Rebecca Crown Library in July and said his connection with the Center on Halsted and Native American network in Chicago helped to realize the on-campus events. Despite being here for only four months, Montaño found rapport with the genuine aura of the university.
“There’s a genuine curiosity and just general wonderment as to my particular story and celebrating things like what we have at this exhibit here” Montaño said.
The books on Native American heritage in the Rebecca Crown library collection also sparked Montaño’s ideation of the exhibit.
“We had a very nice collection when I started here in July that is really one of the inspiration that brought me to bring this exhibit here” Montaño said. “But I did order several other books that I believe are very fitting and timely with what’s going on.”
If I Go Missing is one of the books he added to the collection. Montaño plans to use this graphic novel of personal stories about missing Indigenous people in tandem with the exhibit.
Montaño also organized the Presentation on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Two-Spirit People and the Two-Spirit Talk and Dinner in collaboration with Center for Cultural Liberation (CCL).
The Presentation takes place Nov. 16 from 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. featuring the Center on Halsted on missing Indigenous and non-binary people across the country. The Talk and Dinner takes place Nov. 19 5 – 6 p.m. at CCL to support the Transgender Day of Remembrance.
