Dean Dartt, PhD

Deana’s extensive experience navigating the intersections of tribal sovereignty, museum policy, and public education deeply informs her work as the Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation’s legal liaison, where she advocates for the protection of cultural resources and Indigenous rights.

Deana is the owner of Live Oak Consulting, an organization that partners with tribes, museums, and cultural institutions to center Indigenous perspectives in policy, exhibition development, education, and community engagement. Her scholarly and professional work strives to address the incongruities between public understanding, representation, and the true acknowledgment of Native peoples—their cultures, histories, and contemporary lives.

Deana earned her MA and PhD from the University of Oregon and has held curatorial positions at the Burke Museum of Natural and Cultural History and the Portland Art Museum, as well as teaching appointments at the University of Oregon, University of Washington, and Northwest Indian College. Her forthcoming book manuscript, Subverting the Master Narrative: Museums, Power and Native Life in California, explores the ways Native communities challenge colonial frameworks within cultural institutions.

She currently serves on the boards of the University of Oregon’s Museum of Natural and Cultural History Advisory Council and the Native Coast Action Network. Deana also founded and directs the Live Oak Center for Applied Decolonization (LOCAD), a nonprofit dedicated to advancing decolonial practices across disciplines and communities.