The study pays attention to the formation of the research into Nativ Americans, as well as to the ethical issues connected not only
with the discipline of cultural anthropology, but also of museology,
archaeology, or cultural studies. The study reflects the development
in the attitude to Nativ Americans since the second half of the 19th
century. It describes the foundation of the Institute of American Ethnology, the formation of anthropology in the USA as well as the era of Franz Boas, one of its founders. It also reflects the criticism by Indian academicians. It points out the interconnection between political ideologies, relation to Indians (and all indigenous inhabitants of North America) and definition of research, most visibly especially in connection with applied anthropology It also focuses on contemporary trends, ethical codes, and the role of the Native American and Indigenous Studies within the context of decolonization.