The North American Native Museum, or Nordamerika Native Museum (NONAM), is a museum run by the City of Zurich, Switzerland. The museum specializes in the conservation, documentation, and presentation of ethnographic objects and artwork of Native American, First Nation, and Inuit cultures.
The foundations for the North American Native Museum Zurich were laid in 1961, when the city of Zurich bought the formerly private collection of Gottfried Hotz. [1] [2] Two years later the Hotz collection was moved to a school building in Zurich's Aussersihl district, where it was displayed to the public as Indianermuseum der Stadt Zürich. [3] [4] Hotz remained in charge of his collection as Director of the museum until in 1977 Hans Läng succeeded him and assumed office as curator of the Indianermuseum. [3] [5] Läng expanded the collection in similar ways as Hotz did until his retirement in 1993. That year proved to be a turning point in the history of the museum, as the new director / curator Denise Daenzer ventured into a re-orientation of the museum's work, presenting varying exhibitions of the collection's objects and special exhibitions addressing specific topics. [6]
As the museum was increasingly collaborating with Native Americans, Inuit, and First Nations, a change of the museum's name seemed to be appropriate. In early 2003, the museum opened its gates in its current location in the Seefeld district, as the Nordamerika Native Museum (NONAM). [6] The larger premise proved to be useful in promoting more temporary exhibitions. The development of a new wing in the second floor of the building, called pavilion, further helped the cause of the museum. It enables cultural programms, workshops and is used as a space for cultural mediation.
On the occasion of its 50th year of existence, the museum continued its path towards a more modern collection. With the help of the swiss "Lotteriefonds" in 2011 the NONAM aquired more than fifty pieces of contemporary indigenous art. With this Denise Daenzer guided the collection towards a new direction. It underpinned the museums determination to highlight indigenous perspectives, critical dialogues and historical revision. Denise Daenzer continued to direct the museum, expanding the collections and curating most of the museum's temporary exhibitions until her retirement in 2012. She was succeeded by Heidrun Löb, the current director, who continues the notion of changing the public perspective on Native Americans. [7] Nowadays contemporary indigenous art and crafts are core elements of both the collection and the exhibitions. Furthermore the museum is frequently hosting indigenous artists for speeches, performances, workshops and cultural exchange. [8]
A part of the museum's collections is on permanent display in the second floor, organized according to the culture areas of the Americas frequently used in the cultural anthropology of North America.
In 2013 the museum added a small gallery, showing selected original works of Karl Bodmer.
In the museum's "soundscape" installation, visitors can explore the world of the Inuit, Kwakwaka'wakw (Kwakiutl), Hopi and Diné (Navajo) with their ears only. The "sounding museum" has been accredited by the UNESCO committee as a contribution to the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures, 2010. [9]
Some of the special exhibitions the NONAM showed since the museum's relocation in 2003 are the following: [6]
Publications of the NONAM are usually in German language.
47°20′50″N8°33′56″E / 47.3471°N 8.5656°E
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