Indigenous Histories at Westminster Abbey

Our inaugural project of Public History research has culminated in Indigenous Histories at Westminster Abbey: Memorials of the British Dominions and Colonial America, published by Scala Arts&Heritage.

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Edited by Westminster Abbey's Public Historian Dr Renie Chow Choy, this publication is a richly illustrated exploration of Westminster Abbey's memorials through the histories of Indigenous Peoples in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Westminster Abbey has a long history that invites reflection. As part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Abbey seeks to uphold United Nations and Commonwealth values by using its cultural heritage to address social and ethical challenges and contribute to peace, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue. More than 80 memorials, graves and objects within Westminster Abbey, St Margaret’s Church and the Abbey precincts relate to the former British Dominions and colonial America – nations shaped by large-scale British settlement and its lasting consequences for Indigenous Peoples.

This book considers memorials to explorers, monarchs and political, military, literary and religious figures through the histories of Indigenous Peoples in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa: custodians of lands and waterways; petitioners before the Crown; negotiators of treaties; allies in war; translators of language; and transmitters of faith. In a collaboration between over fifty contributors – including clergy, parliamentary officials, academics, community historians and young people – the book explores the enduring connections between Indigenous nations, settler societies and the Abbey as a site of prayer, conscience, remembrance and global gathering.