From Democratization to Decolonization: Canadian Museological Theory, 1960-2000

This paper examines the epistemological foundations that shaped Canadian museology in the latter half of the 20th century. Integrating distinct features of Canadian museological theory and practice across linguistic and disciplinary boundaries, it highlights scholarly ideas that have gained international resonance and influenced museum practices globally, as well as specific museological practices that have subsequently contributed to theoretical developments in the field. The 1960s marked a defining moment of radical transformation, and the paper explores how various factors—including transnational networks, reflective scholar-practitioner-activists, new cultural policies, Aboriginal activism, and the emergence of specialized academic and professional training programs—collectively influenced the development of a dynamic and innovative Canadian museological praxis. Tracing the trajectory from the late 1960s nouvelle muséologie movement's call to rethink museums' social role, through efforts to enhance public accessibility via digitization, democratization, and decentralization, to the political and moral imperative of decolonizing professional practices and institutions through reflexive, Indigenous-led, and collaborative approaches, this paper demonstrates the significant influence of both local traditions and international networks on the evolution of Canadian museological theory and practice throughout this period.