Against the Current. The Omaha, Francis La Flesche, and His Collection
Date: 05/2022 – 09/2022
Location: Humboldt Forum, Berlin
Client: Humboldt Forum
The starting point for this exhibition, which was designed by TheGreenEyl, is a collection of objects assembled by ethnologist Francis La Flesche (* 1857; † 1932) at the end of the 19th century on behalf of the then Royal Museum for Ethnology in Berlin. Francis La Flesche was a member of the Native American Umoⁿhoⁿ (Omaha) tribe from northeastern Nebraska and western Iowa, and is widely considered to be North America’s first Native ethnologist.
The objects only form part of the exhibition’s focus, however – another important component is a film installation comprising seven screens set up in a circle. This installation tells the stories and histories of the Umoⁿhoⁿ people alive today. The exhibition aims to open up a new perspective on the culture and history of the Umoⁿhoⁿ, whose lives are still marked by experiences of racism. It was created by students and teachers from Nebraska Indian Community College in collaboration with employees of the Humboldt Forum in Berlin. molitor was responsible for the exhibition’s construction and complex media technology.
Fotos: ©molitor GmbH, Amelie Schlicht