The Ainu are the Indigenous peoples traditionally connected to the northern islands of Japan and parts of Russia. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, American, European, and Japanese scholars collected objects, photographs, and stories from Ainu individuals and communities for non-Ainu audiences to encounter through museums, libraries, archives, and universities, like Penn’s. Today, Ainu authors, artists, and activists speak for themselves, their communities, and their heritage through a variety of different media, fueling political movements, cultural revitalization, and new opportunities for self-representation.
Highlighting materials held by the Penn Libraries and the Penn Museum, including manuscripts, woodblock printed books, photographs, and comic books, this exhibit reflects upon the creators, modes, and influence of cultural representations of Indigenous peoples and indigeneity.
Co-Curated by Stephen A. Lang, Keeper of the Asian Collection at the Penn Museum; Eri Mizukane, Assistant Director of Operations, Kislak Center; Rebecca Mendelson, Japanese Studies Librarian; and Deborah Stewart, Head, Penn Museum Library.
Plan Your Visit
On view from January 31 to May 19, 2025. The displays are located in two library buildings:
- Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center first floor next to the Circulation desk (view floor plan). Penn faculty, staff, and students must swipe their PennCard for access. Visitors from outside the Penn community must present a current, valid government or school-issued photo ID that contains an expiration date. Find more information to plan your visit.
- Penn Museum Library's first level (Penn Museum Academic Wing Level 3). Penn students, faculty, and staff may enter the Penn Museum and its library for free with Penn ID. Find more information to plan your visit.
Related Reading
In conjunction with this exhibit, staff in the library’s Center for Global Collections are sharing books by and about members of Indigenous communities around the world, in languages that include English, Spanish, Maya-Tsotsil, Amharic, Swahili, Malagasy, Igbo, Komi, Yakut, Chuvash, Udmurt, Chinese, Hindi, Turkish, Kurdish, Arabic, Japanese, and more!
Find a list of these books in the library's catalog and visit our in-person display, right next to the exhibit in Van Pelt, to browse and borrow them.
