Panel:

James Counts Early, Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage 

Mario Santo Domingo, Psychology, UMBC

Michelle Stefano, American Studies, UMBC

Ashley Minner, Community Artist and Activist, Baltimore American Indian Center 

The process of constructing heritage is inherently political. Whether displayed in a museum, protected as a site, or thought of in terms of shared, cultural knowledge passed down over time, heritage is identified, defined, and interpreted through policies that both shape its very nature and exclude that which is not. This forum marks the beginning of a series of ongoing, critical discussions on the mechanisms of constructing heritage and the power relations embedded within its enterprise, from international to local-level perspectives.