Vol. 53, 1– 2, 2025
Sea o islands and poe ics o
ela ion: e hinking islandness
The ICOFOM S udy Se ies is indexed in he SCOPUS sou ce lis .
To ensu e accu a e indexing and imp o e he isibili y o published wo k, au ho s and
eade s a e encou aged o ci e a icles om his jou nal using he ull and co ec jou nal
i le. P ope ci a ion suppo s academic disco e abili y in da abases and ensu es con i-
bu ions a e co ec ly a ibu ed.
He e a e wo examples o how o ci e an a icle om he jou nal:
• In APA s yle (7 h ed.)
Wong, L. (2025). Museums as social ac ion: Building equi y in ma ginalised commu-
ni ies. ICOFOM S udy Se ies, 53(1–2), 157–169. h ps://doi.o g/10.4000/14 8p
• In MLA s yle (9 h ed.)
Wong, Leilani. “Museums as Social Ac ion: Building Equi y in Ma ginalised Commu-
ni ies.” Sea o Islands and Poe ics o Rela ion: Re hinking Islandness, special issue o
ICOFOM S udy Se ies, ol. 53, no. 1–2, 2025, pp. 157–69, doi.o g/10.4000/14 8p.
To ind he DOI numbe s o indi idual a icles, please consul he websi e jou nals.
openedi ion.o g. Each a icle’s web page includes i s speci ic DOI link.
ICOM
in e na ional
commi ee
o museology
Ma de islas y poé ica de la elación:
epensa la insula idad
Sea o islands and poe ics o
ela ion: e hinking islandness
Me d’îles e poé ique de la ela ion :
epense l’insula i é
Gues edi o s:
Ma ion Be in
Jamie Allan B own
Ka en B own
Ana Sol González Rueda
Louis Laga de
Ma ianne Tissandie
Vol. 53, Issues 1 & 2 – 2025
ICOFOM STUDY SERIES, Vol. 53, 1–2, 2025
In e na ional Jou nal o he ICOM In e na ional Commi ee o Museology (ICOFOM)
The ICOFOM S udy Se ies is a double-blind pee e iewed jou nal.
Edi o s / Edi o as / Rédac ices
Ma ion Be in
Jamie Allan B own
Ka en B own
Ana Sol Gonzalez Rueda
Louis Laga de
Ma ianne Tissandie
In oduc ion
Ma ion Be in
Ka en B own
Edi o ial Team / Equipo edi o ial / Équipe édi o iale
Managing Edi o , ICOFOM: M. Elizabe h Weise
Communica ion Manage , ICOFOM: Anna Leshchenko
Edi o ial Coo dina o : Allison Daniel
Copy Edi o s: Allison Daniel (English); O phée Lamo e (F ench); Ana Sol González
Rueda (Spanish)
Designe : Melissa Aguila
Edi o ial Commi ee / Consejo edi o ial / Comi é édi o ial, 2023-2024
Melissa Aguila , independen museologis , Cos a Rica
Ma ion Be in, Uni e si é ca holique de Lou ain & -Ins i u de sciences poli iques
Lou ain-Eu ope (ISPOLE) – B uxelles, Belgique
B uno B ulon Soa es, Uni e si y o S . And ews, Sco land
Sup eo Chanda, Uni e si y o Calcu a, India
Sca le Galindo, Museo Nacional de la Acua ela Al edo Gua i Rojo, México
E nes Kpan, Na ional Ins i u e o A and Cul u al Ac ion (INSAAC), Cô e d’I oi e
Lynn Ma anda, Eme i a Cu a o , Museum o Vancou e , Canada
Ma ga e Zheng Yi, Fudan Uni e si y, China
ISSN: 2306-4161 ICOFOM STUDY SERIES (Online)
ISBN: 978-2-487970-09-0 ICOFOM STUDY SERIES 53 1-2
Sea o islands and poe ics o ela ion: e hinking islandness /
Me d’îles e poé ique de la ela ion : epense l’insula i é /
Ma de islas y poé ica de la elación: epensa la insula idad
© In e na ional Commi ee o Museology o he In e na ional Council o Museums
(ICOM/UNESCO)
Published by ICOFOM, Pa is, in 2025
5
Table o Con en s
In oduc ion: Sea o islands and poe ics o ela ion: e hinking
islandness
Be in, M. and B own, K
7
In oduc ion 19
In oducción 32
PART I : Colonial Collec ing and he A chi e—Con es ing His o ies 49
Collec ing ambigui y: Objec s and he a e li es o Empi e
on he island o I eland
Widdis, B., and Reisz, E.
51
F om Bo neo o Leices e : Colonial en anglemen s
in he D yad ‘Handic a s’ collec ion
Scude i., M. C.
65
L’In en ai e du Pa imoine Kanak Dispe sé :
Muséologie ansna ionale e e i oi es enche ê és
Be in, M., and Tissandie , M.
79
P a ique collabo a i e, ansmission des sa oi s ma é iels
e imma é iels en Polynésie ançaise
Ba sinas, V., Tokainiua De a ine, J-D., Gi aud, V., Guio , H., Ma ic, T.,
Méland i, M., and Vallée, M.
93
PART II : Re hinking Indigenous Island Museologies 107
Lea ning om Paci ic museologies:
He i age, cul u e and en i onmen in he islands o Moana Oceania
McCa hy, C.
108
Paci ic museums and cul u al cen es:
Rede ining & indigenizing museum spaces he Paci ic way
Vunidilo, T.
121
Na a i es and island he i age ep esen a ion:
Na iga ing he Ainu exhibi ions on Hokkaido
Bi encou , N., and Chen, Y-A.
132
Empowe ing na a i es: Re hinking Taiwan h ough
he Na ional Museum o His o y in Taiwan
Chen ,Y-A.
142
6
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
Museums as social ac ion:
Building equi y in ma ginalised communi ies
Wong, L.
157
L’exposi ion comme émana ion d’une pa ole : Symbolique e mise
en espace à la Maison de la Nou elle-Calédonie
Deco ce, C.
170
Re ou e la oix de nos obje s : déma che muséale e
e endica ions cul u elles au enua èna a
Molle, G., Vallée, M., Tama ii, A., Ohu, N., Aunoa, R., Vaa e e, J.
182
T ansmission, a chipelagos and publics :
The enewed museum in Tahi i
Vallée, M., and Ma ic, T.
196
PART III - In e gene a ional T ansmission and Island Ecologies 209
Tides o change: You h, museums and he i age
in he clima e eme gency
B own, J. A., and Hall, K. R. N.
210
Reac i a ing adi ional en i onmen al knowledge
o inc ease plan awa eness
Reid Fo d, H.
224
The Be ina Museum o Wooden Shipbuilding:
Small s ep o museology, gian leap o local communi y
Babić, D.
236
Laye ed legacies: Building he u u e on he knowledge o he pas
Ka u ić, A.
247
Mic omuseology in Les os: Re lec ing on la ge ideas h ough
‘small places’
Bounia, A.
259
7
Sea o islands and poe ics o ela ion:
e hinking islandness
Ma ion Be in
Uni e si é ca holique de Lou ain & -Ins i u de sciences poli iques
Lou ain-Eu ope (ISPOLE) – B uxelles, Belgique
[email p o ec ed]
Ka en B own
Uni e si y o S And ews – Sco land
[email p o ec ed]
Tell Them
“[…]
ell hem we a e papaya golden
sunse s bleeding
in o a gli e ing open sea
we a e skies unclu e ed
majes ic in hei sweeping land-
scape
we a e he ocean
e i ying and egal in i s powe .
[…]
bu mos impo an ly ell hem
we don’ wan o lea e
we’ e ne e wan ed o lea e
and ha we
a e no hing wi hou ou islands.”
(Ka hy Je nil-Kijine , 2011)1
F om a con inen al Eu opean pe spec i e, islands ha e long been conside ed as sepa a -
ed and isola ed spaces, disconnec ed om one ano he and om he es o hei en i-
onmen . Colonial his o ies, as well as cul u al and scien i ic mo emen s, ha e u he
c ea ed bounda ies be ween islands, people and hings. This double special issue o he
ICOFOM S udy Se ies aims o e hink such a pe spec i e on islands by b inging oge he
pape s om a ound he wo ld ha d aw on al e na i e iews, no ably om he Paci ic
and Ca ibbean egions conce ning oceanic islands (i.e. hose o med o co al o unde sea
olcanic e up ions [Deleuze, 2002]). Resona ing h ough many o he pape s will be he
ype o island hinking associa ed wi h he poem ci ed abo e by he Ma shallese poe ,
1 Ka hy Je nil-Kijine ’s bes -known poem Tell Them (2011), wa ns o he consequences o Paci ic
a olls o he ising sea le els. h ps://www.ka hyje nilkijine .com
In oduc ion:
8
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
pe o me , educa o and ac i is Ka hy Je nil-Kijine , which exp esses a iew o in e con-
nec i i y be ween people and he ocean and a na i e esis ance o displacemen . Tongan-Fi-
jian schola Epeli Hau‘o a (1939–2009) (“Ou Sea o Islands”, 1994), and Ma iniquais
schola and poe Édoua d Glissan (1928-2011) (Poe ics o Rela ion, 1996) p e iously
emphasised ela ed ideas o sea connec edness and sub e anean ela ionali y a he han
sepa a eness; a key concep common o many o he pape s ha ollow.
Island s udies and i s misconcep ions ha e been shaped by he dis inc i e ea u es o is-
lands, no leas hei s a e o being su ounded by wa e and being seen o be “ emo e”
om a mainland pe spec i e. Fo example, he e m insula /insula i y, de i ed om he
La in, di e s in use be ween he F ench (insulai e, whe e i implies an idea o emo eness
and men al isola ion), and he English (whe e i has been associa ed a imes wi h a neg-
a i e o m o in ospec ion). Simila ly, ideas o boundedness associa ed wi h islands can
be cons ued as ad e se i seen as a o m o enclosu e. F om an islande ’s poin o iew,
howe e , he ichness o hei cul u e, sense o place, and wo ld iew (dù chas in Sco ish
Gaelic), nega es me opole pe cep ions o he “ emo eness” o islands (B own, 2019), and
opens mo e pa hways o in e connec i i y.
In he ield o memo y s udies, he e m ansna ional p omp s discou se abou collec i e
memo y beyond he na ion s a e (De Cesa i & Rigney, 2014). This allows new unde -
s andings o ne wo ks o comme ce and exchange ac oss na ional bo de s, and o he
concep o “local” wi hin b oade ansna ional imagina ies (Bond, 2023). In he wo ds
o De Cesa i and Rigney, ansna ionalism “ ecognizes he signi icance o na ional ame-
wo ks alongside he po en ial o cul u al p oduc ion bo h o ein o ce and o anscend
hem”, so ha we migh a he s udy “non-linea ajec o ies and complex empo ali ies”
h ough a mo e open amewo k (De Cesa i & Rigney, 2014, pp. 19, 23). Taking hese
p emises as a cue o a discussion among island museums and he i age communi ies, he
ansna ional p omp s us o ask ques ions: How do island memo y cul u es wo k? How
do museum na a i es in e ac ansna ionally, no ably along he aul lines c ea ed by co-
lonialism, as “ ansna ional c oss-cu en s we e also a he hea o colonialism, sla e y,
and o he o ms o exploi a ion by globalized capi al in ol ing he iolen asymme ical
en anglemen o acialized communi ies” (De Cesa i & Rigney, 2014, p. 24)?
As no ed abo e, w i e s om di e en islands ha e sugges ed ha islands a e spaces o
connec i i y h ough he sea su ounding hem. Many islande s, no ably hose om Oce-
ania, ha e a long his o y o mul igene a ional oceanic oyages o encoun e s (Lowen hal,
2007). In his ounda ional and highly ci ed a icle “Ou Sea o Islands” (1994), Hau‘o a
desc ibes how Paci ic islande s we e no li ing on “islands in a a sea” bu a e inhab-
i an s o a “sea o islands”, ebu ing he long- e m con inen al pe spec i e. Fo him,
“ou side s o en concei e o islands as sepa a ed and con ined as well as de ined h ough
hei (na ional) bo de s, which o en a ose om colonial and decolonial dynamics he eby
o e looking connec i i y, he e ogenei y, and complexi y” (p. 152). Hau‘o a in okes he
my hs, legends, o al adi ions and cosmologies o he peoples o Oceania, which include
he ocean, hea ens and unde wo ld as pa o an Oceania ha is any hing bu ocused on
smallness o scale as cha ac e ised by con inen al iews.
O he oceans and seas ac oss he globe ha e been se ing as oads ha connec peoples
and spaces, allowing he ci cula ion o angible and in angible hings. The Indian Ocean,
o example, has long been a comme cial oad ha connec ed Eas A ican empi es and
Asia (Bouche , 2019; Na i el & Ragoanah, 2007). In he con ex o he Ca ibbean, he
9
iangula ade ou e is ano he oceanic passage ca ying no only peoples and goods bu
also di e se cul u es, his o ies, p ac ices, li elihoods and memo ies. Th ough hese ou es,
angible and in angible hings we e aken om one space o ano he ac oss na ional bo -
de s. Fo ensla ed peoples who had been displaced om Wes A ica o he Ca ibbean
islands, he ade ou es c ea ed a diaspo ic cul u e oo ed in he idea o exile and absence
(Chamoiseau, 2016; Chi allon, 2004; Co ias e al., 2010). The men al ans-oceanic
connec ion os e ed he idea o a “Black A lan ic” ha b ings oge he A ican peoples
wi h islande s o A ican descen in he Ca ibbean islands as well as con inen al Ame ica
(Gil oy, 1993; see also he au ho s o he F ench-speaking Nég i ude).
Indeed, Ca ibbean island museologies ea u e s ongly in his special issue, and he his o y
o he Ca ibbean canno be sepa a ed om he auma o ansa lan ic sla e y and colo-
nialism in he Ame icas. Se e al au ho s om he Ca ibbean ha e endea ou ed o hink
o he impac o his auma ic his o y on behal o hei popula ions. Pa ick Chamoi-
seau desc ibes exile and i s consequences when c ea ing om absence, memo y lapses,
and e y ew aces: a “ma iè e de l’absence” (2016). Edoua d Glissan , bo n in F ench
Ma inique, de ends he idea o he “poe ics o ela ion” o exp ess he in e ela ions and
encoun e s be ween people, hings and his o ies in he Ca ibbean, especially ega ding he
A ican con inen , whe e mos o he Ca ibbean people o igina ed om. He used he con-
cep o hizome2 as a way o explain how he Ca ibbean peoples a e linked oge he and
wi h o he places a ound he wo ld; a concep ecen ly aken up by schola s in he ield o
museology o bo h c i ique he display o a and o concei e o a Ca ibbean museology
and communi y p ac ice unc ioning ou side he adi ional museum, which is associa ed
wi h colonialism and ex ac ion (Keohane, 2023; McGui e, 2023). Wi hin he Sha ed
Island S o ies p ojec , T inidadian his o ian Hea he Ca eau has ecen ly p opounded he
concep o eassembling he agmen s o hidden s o ies o he middle and wo king classes
be ween Sco land and he Ca ibbean – in ol ing a de ailed a chi al p ojec ope a ing on
bo h sides o he A lan ic (Ca eau, 2024). Wi h Hau‘o a, o he Paci ic hinke s ede ined
he connec ion be ween he islands and agains colonial bo de s and de ended he idea o
Moana Oceania.3 Such hinking om he Paci ic and Ca ibbean egions and beyond has
pa icipa ed in he eposi ioning o islande s wi hin a global con ex as hey encou age
he idea o hinking ou side na ional bo de s by calling o a ansna ional concep ion o
islands and he wo ld.
Island he i ages oday, he e o e, do no see he ocean as a ba ie o he land as secu i y.
Ra he , as explo ed by Foley e al. ( ollowing he wo ks o Tsing, 2015; Pugh & Chan-
dle , 2021), island s udies oday o en ocuses on he powe o island hinking beyond he
linea p og ess and de elopmen associa ed wi h mode ni y (Foley e al., 2023), h ough
an emphasis on islands’ ela ionali ies and Indigenous p ac ices. In he end hey conclude:
“Island cul u es and islandness can emphasize mobili y and mo emen while also emain-
ing deeply connec ed o place” (Foley e al., 2023, p. 1809).
Island museologies and he i ages: wha a e hey?
In his con ex , wha do island he i ages in he wo ld ha e in common? I is di icul o
conside island he i ages as a whole, conside ing how di e se hey a e. Howe e , as many
au ho s show in his special issue, island he i ages om di e en e i o ies and ajec-
2 In bo any, a hizome is a plan s em ha g ows ho izon ally a he han e ically unde g ound,
p oducing oo s a s a egic poin s o new plan g ow h.
3 Moana means Ocean in Polynesian languages.
16
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
In hei pape “Na a i es and island he i age ep esen a ion: Na iga ing he Ainu exhi-
bi ions on Hokkaido”, Nicolle Bi encou and Yi-An Chen also engage wi h he ep e-
sen a ion o Indigenous cul u e – in his case, he people o Hokkaido Island in Japan. In
examining ou exhibi ions om he island, hey ques ion ideas o cul u al exp ession and
agency. Engaging in c i ical deba es based on museology ela ing o he igh s o ma gin-
alized g oups, as well as pos colonial heo y mo e b oadly, hey showcase how he e is a
challenge in places, including bu no limi ed o he na ional museum and pa k, o engage
c i ically wi h legacies o se le colonialism, con empo a y Ainu s uggles, and “a mo e
jus and inclusi e na ional memo y.” Thei ex eminds us o he impo an ole o muse-
ums in shaping na ional iden i ies and na a i es h ough inclusion and exclusion. Chen’s
pape “Empowe ing na a i es: Re hinking Taiwan h ough he Na ional Museum o
His o y in Taiwan” hen looks in dep h a he Oceanic Taiwan exhibi ion a Taiwan’s
Na ional Museum o His o y o open mo e deba e on na ional iden i y h ough museum
na a i es a he c oss oads o he Paci ic Ocean and con inen al China.
Also ocused on a ma ginalized and disen anchised communi y, Leilani Wong’s pape
“Museums as social ac ion: Building equi y in ma ginalised communi ies” akes he case
s udy o he ecomuseum o Te Fa e Na u a (“ he house o na u e”) in Moo ea, F ench
Polynesia, o illus a e a success s o y o you h empowe men h ough museum de el-
opmen . By add essing speci ic needs iden i ied by he communi y, he ecomuseum has
b ough o e 400 Ma’ohi s uden s ou o a si ua ion o po e y and social issues unde
a dominan colonial adminis a ion o a place o g ow h h ough he e i al o knowl-
edge a ound Polynesian ecosys ems o land and sea in a delica e insula en i onmen . By
upli ing adi ional p ac ices and cosmo isions h ough non-Wes e n o ms o lea ning,
including o al ansmission, he p ojec has enabled you hs o unde s and hei alue as
agen s o en i onmen al p o ec ion h ough ances al lineage and begin a pa h o eman-
cipa ion. Viewing he concep o ecomuseum in a Polynesian con ex , his example shows
how a museum can be a b idge be ween di e en knowledges and communi ies.
The case s udy o he Maison de la Nou elle-Calédonie (Pa is, F ance), desc ibed by
Cassand e Deco ce in he essay “The exhibi ion as an emana ion o oice: Symbolism
and spa ial design a he Maison de la Nou elle-Calédonie”, demons a es an a emp
o b ing mo e o ou senses in o exhibi ions. The exhibi ion e e s o Kanak me apho s
such as he impo ance o he oice, he in isible, and ou es and passages, as well as
he o he communi ies li ing in he a chipelago in he con ex o he de ini ion o New
Caledonian iden i y and na ion-building. In addi ion o he exhibi ion i sel , Deco ce
s esses he impo ance o people behind he scenes, he e he di ec o o he ins i u ion.
Being a “house” ins ead o a “museum” he Maison de la Nou elle-Calédonie in i es
us o e hink models, including he ole ha he i age can play as an ambassado when
ou side i s o iginal e i o y.
In hei essay en i led “Redisco e ing he oice o ou objec s: Museological app oach-
es and cul u al claims in he enua èna a,” Guillaume Molle, Ma ine Vallée, Ana aua ii
Tama ii, Nes o Ohu, Ranka Aunoa, and Joseph Vaa e e shine a ligh on se e al opics
discussed in his olume, such as he eapp op ia ion o knowledge and he i age by sou ce
communi ies. P esen ing examples om he Ma quesas Islands in F ench Polynesia, hey
discuss he ole o museums in keeping “objec s ali e” (i.e., meaning ul o he commu-
ni ies) and in keeping objec s inside he a chipelago a he han expo ed. The au ho s
p esen he case o communi y and local museums made o he communi ies.
17
By con as , in hei pape “T ansmission, a chipelagos and audiences: he eno a ed mu-
seum in Tahi i”, Ma ine Vallée and Tama a Ma ic discuss he new display and na a i es
in he Te Fa e Iamanaha – Musée de Tahi i e des Îles, which opened in Ma ch 2023 in
he adminis a i e cen e o F ench Polynesia. The challenges behind he new pe manen
display we e o b ing a mo e Polynesian pe spec i e on collec ions and his o y (ins ead o
a e y Eu opean-based one), as well as o equally ep esen he i e a chipelagos o F ench
Polynesia. One o he key ques ions he e is: Who a e museums o ? How can hey p o ide
knowledge and languages o communi ies as well as o ou side s?
In e gene a ional ansmission and island ecologies
The de elopmen o p o essional skills and cul u al econnec ion is a heme o he pape
“Tides o change: You h, museums and he i age in he clima e eme gency” by Jamie Allan
B own and Kaye R. N. Hall, which a gues o he “ ans o ma i e po en ial o you h-led
ini ia i es” in he case s udy o he Sha ed Island S o ies you h exchange be ween Ba ba-
dos and Sco land’s Ou e Heb idean islands. No ing he agency o young people oday
h ough hei enhanced poli ical awa eness and adep ness wi h new echnologies, he ex-
ample shows how communi ies a ec ed by he wo s impac s o clima e change, including
sea le el ise and biodi e si y loss, and sha ing his o ies o colonial legacies and ex ac ion
can exchange ideas and p ac ices o mo e sus ainable u u es, ul ima ely in luencing mu-
seum policy. Fo example, engaging in wo kshops on adi ional plan s and TEK in bo h
coun ies was seen o p omo e sus ainable beha iou s.
This is a opic explo ed in dep h by Hannah Reid Fo d in he pape “Reac i a ing a-
di ional en i onmen al knowledge o inc ease plan awa eness.” Engaging wi h ideas o
“plan blindness” on he small Ca ibbean islands o Cayman and d awing om a chi al
and e hnog aphic esea ch, Reid Fo d ecognises he links be ween loss and deg ada ion
o biological di e si y and cul u al di e si y (naming his phenomenon “biocul u al di-
e si y”) and a gues o he e i alisa ion o Caymanian awa eness o plan s h ough
museum educa ion aimed a enhancing na u e-connec edness and awa eness o mo e-
han-human wo lds, esul ing in p o-en i onmen al beha iou s.
These wo chap e s, he e o e, join a majo heme in his special issue, ha o he ole o mu-
seums – especially small, local, communi y, ecomuseums o mic o-museums – in os e ing
cul u al sus ainabili y h ough a li ing connec ion be ween he pas and p esen , p ese ing
pe sonal and collec i e memo y, and p omo ing in e gene a ional lea ning, no ably abou
adi ional knowledge and clima e change. This opic is u he explo ed in he essay “The
Be ina Museum o Wooden Shipbuilding: Small s ep o museology, gian leap o local
communi y” by Da ko Babić, which showcases his Eu opean awa d-winning museum on
he island o Be ina in C oa ia. Begun as a bo om-up communi y ini ia i e, he museum is
shown o be e y sus ainable in a local con ex h ough i s collec ions, open-ai museum,
communi y engagemen and su ounding ac i i ies, including an inspi ed ini ia i e o dis-
play li ing he i age in he local ha bou by moo ing ac i e and main ained boa s o bo h
p ese e adi ional c a s and p omo e sus ainable island ou ism.
Also highligh ing he ole o he sea as a i al componen o local he i age is “Laye ed
legacies: Building he u u e on he knowledge o he pas ” by Ana Ka u ić. I discusses
how he C oa ian Co al Cen e a Zla in Island goes beyond p esen ing he his o y o
co al ha es ing o become a pla o m o clima e ac ion, cul u al memo y and pa icipa-
o y he i age-making in ol ing he local communi y, NGOs, and he scien i ic and a is ic
18
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
communi ies. In explo ing he ela ionship be ween he communi y and he sea, co-c e-
a i e ac i i ies ha e anged om exhibi ion design and equi able esou ce managemen o
plas ic- ee island ac ion. In his way, impo an a e ac s become in e wo en wi h accu-
a e scien i ic da a and a is ic in e en ion o display and sha e island li es and socie y in
an e o o mo e owa ds cul u al e i alisa ion and communi y empowe men .
These hemes a e p esen in he pape by Alexand a Bounia on he opic o “Mic omu-
seology in Les os: Re lec ing on la ge ideas h ough ‘small places’,” which e lec s upon
h ee g ass oo s museums on he island o Les os in G eece ha a e ocused on e ugee
memo y, esin collec ion, and local olklo e. Usually c ea ed by elde ly membe s o he
communi y o p ese e he memo ies o hei pas , o ans e memo ies and a sense o
sha ed alue o younge gene a ions, and o suppo communi y u u es, hese ins i u ions
a e p esen ed as al e na i e, emo i e and p o ec ed o ms o memo y-making. In so do-
ing, he au ho also seeks o answe he ques ion, “How can he knowledge and expe ise
gene a ed by and in hese small ins i u ions in oduce new ideas and/o allow o new
pe spec i es in deba es ha a e e y pe inen o museology oday?” He e, he au ho
desc ibes how emo ions a e pa o he communi y museology, a opic ha ela es back o
he idea o emo ions as e ealed in Widdis’s and Reisz’s essay opening his olume.
We hope ha his double issue will gi e oice and ligh o he nume ous island he i ages
and museologies p esen ed he e, and ha i will encou age mo e esea ch on hem in he
u u e.
Funding Acknowledgemen s
The Sha ed Island S o ies esea ch p ojec was selec ed by he Eu opean Resea ch Council
(ERC) and unded by UK Resea ch and Inno a ion (UKRI) wi h e e ence: EP/X023036/1.
We also hank all he ins i u ions ha con ibu ed o und he in e na ional con e ence
held in New Caledonia in Oc obe 2023: Associa ion des musées e des é ablissemen s pa-
imoniaux de Nou elle-Calédonie, Uni e si é de Nou elle-Calédonie and esea ch eam
TROCA, P o ince Sud, P o ince No d, P o ince des îles, Mission des A ai es cul u elles
de Nou elle-Calédonie and he Gou e nemen de Nou elle-Calédonie.
19
Me d’îles e poé ique de la ela ion :
epense l’insula i é
Ma ion Be in
Uni e si é ca holique de Lou ain & Ins i u de sciences poli iques
Lou ain-Eu ope (ISPOLE) – B uxelles, Belgique
[email p o ec ed]
Ka en B own
Uni e si y o S And ews – Sco land
[email p o ec ed]
Tell Them
“[…]
ell hem we a e papaya golden
sunse s bleeding
in o a gli e ing open sea
we a e skies unclu e ed
majes ic in hei sweeping land-
scape
we a e he ocean
e i ying and egal in i s powe .
[…]
bu mos impo an ly ell hem
we don’ wan o lea e
we’ e ne e wan ed o lea e
and ha we
a e no hing wi hou ou islands.”
(Ka hy Je nil-Kijine , 2011)6
D’un poin de ue eu opéen con inen al, les îles on long emps é é pe çues comme des
espaces sépa és e isolés, déconnec és les uns des au es e du es e de leu en i onnemen .
L’his oi e coloniale, ainsi que les mou emen s cul u els e scien i iques, on en o cé ces
on iè es en e les îles, les peuples e les choses. Ce double numé o spécial des ICOFOM
S udy Se ies ise à epense ce e pe spec i e en assemblan des con ibu ions enues du
monde en ie qui p oposen des isions al e na i es, no ammen depuis les égions paci-
ique e ca ibéenne en ce qui conce ne les îles océaniques (c’es -à-di e celles o mées pa
des co aux ou des é up ions olcaniques sous-ma ines [Deleuze, 2002]). De nomb euses
con ibu ions ésonnen a ec la pensée insulai e inca née dans le poème ci é ci-dessus
6 Le poème le plus connu de Ka hy Je nil-Kijine ,Tell Them(2011), me en ga de con e les conséquenc-
es de l’élé a ion du ni eau de la me pou les a olls du Paci ique. h ps://www.ka hyje nilkijine .com
In oduc ion :
20
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
édigé pa la poé esse, pe o meuse, enseignan e e mili an e ma shallaise Ka hy Je nil-Ki-
jine , qui exp ime une ision de l’in e connexion en e les peuples e l’océan, ainsi qu’une
ésis ance au och one au déplacemen . Le che cheu ongien- idjien Epeli Hau‘o a (1939–
2009) (« Ou sea o islands », 1994) e le poè e e penseu ma iniquais Édoua d Glissan
(1928–2011) (Poé ique de la ela ion, 1996) a aien déjà souligné des idées similai es
su la connec i i é ma i ime e la ela ion sou e aine plu ô que su la sépa a ion – un
concep clé pa agé pa nomb e des con ibu ions incluses ici.
Les é udes insulai es se son a ê ées su ce aines ca ac é is iques pa iculiè es des îles, no-
ammen le ai qu’elles soien en ou ées d’eau e pe çues comme « éloignées » depuis une
pe spec i e con inen ale. Pa exemple, le e me insulai e/insula i é, dé i é du la in, di è e
dans son usage en e le ançais (où il implique une idée d’éloignemen e d’isolemen men-
al) e l’anglais (insula , où il es pa ois associé à une in ospec ion pe çue de maniè e
néga i e). De même, l’idée d’encla emen associée aux îles peu ê e pe çue néga i emen
si elle es considé ée comme une o me d’en e memen . Du poin de ue des communau és
insulai es, cependan , la ichesse de leu cul u e, leu sen imen d’appa enance e leu ision
du monde (dù chas en gaélique écossais), con edisen la pe cep ion mé opoli aine de l’
« éloignemen » des îles (B own, 2019), e ou en la oie à une in e connec i i é plus as e.
Dans le domaine des é udes mémo ielles, le e me ansna ional susci e des discussions au-
ou de la mémoi e collec i e au-delà de l’É a -na ion (De Cesa i & Rigney, 2014). Cela pe -
me de nou elles comp éhensions des éseaux de comme ce e d’échange au-delà des on-
iè es na ionales, e de la no ion de « local » dans des imaginai es ansna ionaux plus la ges
(Bond, 2023). Comme l’exp imen De Cesa i e Rigney, le ansna ionalisme « econnaî la
pe inence des cad es na ionaux ou en soulignan le po en iel de la p oduc ion cul u elle à
la ois pou les en o ce e les anscende », de so e que nous puissions plu ô é udie des
« ajec oi es non linéai es e des empo ali és complexes » à a e s un cad e plus ou e
(2014, p. 19, 23). En p enan ces p émisses comme poin de dépa pou une discussion
su les musées insulai es e les communau és pa imoniales, le ansna ional nous pousse à
pose comme ques ions : commen onc ionnen les cul u es mémo ielles insulai es ? Com-
men les éci s muséaux in e agissen -ils à l’échelle ansna ionale, no ammen le long des
lignes de ac u e c éées pa le colonialisme, puisque « les cou an s ansna ionaux é aien
égalemen au cœu du colonialisme, de l’escla age e d’au es o mes d’exploi a ion pa le
capi al mondialisé, impliquan l’enche ê emen asymé ique e iolen des communau és
acisées » (De Cesa i & Rigney, 2014, p. 24) ?
Comme men ionné plus hau , des au eu ices issus de di é en es îles on p oposé que ces
de niè es soien ues comme des espaces de connec i i é ia la me qui les en ou e. De
nomb eux insulai es, no ammen celleux d’Océanie, on une longue his oi e de oyages
océaniques mul igéné a ionnels (Lowen hal, 2007). Dans son a icle onda eu e la gemen
ci é « Ou sea o islands » (1994), Hau‘o a déc i commen les insulai es du Paci ique ne i en
pas dans des « îles dans une me loin aine », mais son les habi an .e.s d’une « me d’îles »,
en opposi ion à la pe spec i e con inen ale dominan e. Pou lui, « les é ange s conçoi en
sou en les îles comme sépa ées e con inées, dé inies pa leu s on iè es (na ionales), qui
ésul en sou en de dynamiques coloniales e décoloniales, négligean ainsi la connec i i é,
l’hé é ogénéi é e la complexi é » (p. 152). Hau‘o a in oque les my hes, légendes, adi ions
o ales e cosmologies des peuples d’Océanie, qui in èg en l’océan, les cieux e le monde
sou e ain comme aisan pa ie d’une Océanie qui ne se concen e en ien su la pe i esse,
comme le suppose une ision con inen ale.
21
D’au es océans e me s à a e s le monde on se i de ou es elian des peuples e des
espaces, pe me an la ci cula ion d’en i és ma é ielles e imma é ielles. L’océan Indien,
pa exemple, a long emps é é une oie comme ciale elian les empi es d’A ique o ien ale
e l’Asie (Bouche , 2019 ; Na i el & Ragoanah, 2007). Dans le con ex e ca ibéen, la ou e
emp un ée pou le comme ce iangulai e es un au e i iné ai e ma i ime anspo an
non seulemen des pe sonnes e des ma chandises, mais aussi des cul u es, des his oi es,
des p a iques, des modes de ie e des mémoi es di e ses. Pa ces ou es, des élémen s
angibles e in angibles on é é anspo és d’un espace à un au e au-delà des on iè es
na ionales. Pou les peuples édui s en escla age, déplacés d’A ique de l’Oues e s les
îles des Ca aïbes, ces ou es comme ciales on c éé une cul u e diaspo ique en acinée
dans l’exil e l’absence (Chamoiseau, 2016 ; Chi allon, 2004 ; Co ias e al., 2010). Ce e
connexion men ale ansocéanique a nou i l’idée d’un « A lan ique noi » éunissan les
peuples a icains e les insulai es d’o igine a icaine dans les Ca aïbes ainsi qu’en Amé-
ique con inen ale (Gil oy, 1993 ; oi aussi les au eu ices de la Nég i ude ancophone).
Les muséologies insulai es ca ibéennes occupen en e e une place impo an e dans ce
numé o spécial, ca l’his oi e des Ca aïbes ne peu ê e dissociée des auma ismes de
l’escla age ansa lan ique e du colonialisme dans les Amé iques. Plusieu s au eu ices
o iginai es des Ca aïbes se son a achés à é léchi à l’impac de ce e his oi e auma-
ique pou leu s popula ions. Pa ick Chamoiseau déc i l’exil e ses conséquences, qui
in i en à c ée à pa i de l’absence, des lacunes mémo ielles e de ès peu de aces : c’es -
à-di e une « ma iè e de l’absence » (2016). Édoua d Glissan , né en Ma inique, dé end
l’idée d’une « poé ique de la ela ion » pou exp ime les in e ela ions e les encon es
en e les pe sonnes, les choses e les his oi es dans les Ca aïbes, no ammen en lien a ec le
con inen a icain, d’où son o iginai es la plupa des popula ions ca ibéennes. Il u ilise
le concep de hizome7 pou explique commen les peuples ca ibéens son liés en e eux
e a ec d’au es égions du monde ; un concep écemmen ep is pa des che cheu .se.s
en muséologie pou c i ique à la ois les modes d’exposi ion a is ique e pense une mu-
séologie ca ibéenne e une p a ique communau ai e s’insc i an en deho s du musée adi-
ionnel, op sou en associé au colonialisme e à l’ex ac ion (Keohane, 2023 ; McGui e,
2023). Dans le cad e du p oje Sha ed Island S o ies, l’his o ienne inidadienne Hea he
Ca eau a écemmen dé eloppé le concep de econs i u ion de « agmen s d’his oi es
cachées » des classes moyennes e populai es en e l’Écosse e les Ca aïbes – un p oje
a chi is ique app o ondi mené de pa e d’au e de l’A lan ique (Ca eau, 2024). A ec
Hau‘o a, d’au es penseu .se.s du Paci ique on edé ini la connexion en e les îles, au-delà
des on iè es coloniales, e dé endu l’idée deMoana Oceania8. Ces é lexions issues du
Paci ique, des Ca aïbes e d’ailleu s on con ibué à eposi ionne les insulai es dans un
con ex e mondial, en encou agean une ision ansna ionale des îles e du monde, au-de-
là des on iè es na ionales.
Aujou d’hui, les pa imoines insulai es ne considè en donc ni l’océan comme une ba -
iè e, ni la e e comme une sécu i é. Comme l’explo en Foley e al. (à la sui e des a aux
de Tsing, 2015 ; Pugh & Chandle , 2021), les é udes insulai es ac uelles me en sou en
l’accen su le pou oi d’une pensée insulai e libé ée du modèle de dé eloppemen linéai e
associé à la mode ni é (Foley e al., 2023), en alo isan les ela ionali és p op es aux îles
ainsi que les p a iques au och ones. Comme le concluen Foley e al. : « Les cul u es insu-
lai es e l’insula i é peu en me e l’accen à la ois su la mobili é e le déplacemen , ou
en es an p o ondémen anc ées dans un lieu » (2023, p. 1809).
7 En bo anique, un hizome es une ige sou e aine qui pousse ho izon alemen plu ô que e ica-
lemen , p oduisan des acines à des poin s s a égiques pou pe me e la c oissance de nou elles plan es.
8 Moanasigni ie « océan » dans les langues polynésiennes.
22
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
Muséologies e pa imoines insulai es : de quoi s’agi -il ?
Dans ce con ex e, qu’on en commun les pa imoines insulai es à a e s le monde ? Il es
di icile de considé e les pa imoines insulai es comme un ensemble homogène, an ils
son di e si iés. Tou e ois, comme le mon en de nomb eux au eu . ice.s de ce numé o
spécial, les pa imoines insulai es de di é en s e i oi es e ajec oi es pa agen ce -
aines ca ac é is iques. En e e , les pa imoines insulai es on subi – e ce ains subissen
enco e – la dispe sion, la déconnexion, la pe e, la des uc ion, le désin é ê , l’absence de
p ése a ion e de ansmission, la mau aise ep ésen a ion e la ma ginalisa ion, en e
au es p oblèmes.
Pendan la pé iode coloniale e lo s de la o ma ion des É a s-na ions, les cul u es imma-
é ielles u en in e di es ou oubliées. De nomb euses langues, pa exemple, é aien in e -
di es ou p a iquées en sec e . O , depuis plusieu s décennies, les communau és insulai es
dé enden leu s iden i és pa leu s cul u es e leu s pa imoines. Pa allèlemen , des agues
de « collec e insulai e » (island collec ing, Longai , 2024) on p o oqué la dispe sion des
cul u es ma é ielles ( oi les a icles de Widdis & Reisz e de Scude i dans ce olume). Les
collec es on p is di e ses o mes, allan du don au pillage iolen . À a e s l’his oi e de
ces collec es, les obje s ma é iels issus des îles on ci culé à a e s le monde e in ég é des
collec ions publiques e p i ées (Meland i & Guio , 2021).
Depuis les années 1960, les musées e les communau és locales a aillen ensemble pou
edé ini les ela ions e les au o i és, ainsi que pou ans o me les ep ésen a ions e les
éci s (Pee s & B own, 2003). Comme l’illus en plusieu s a icles de ce olume, les p o-
je s collabo a i s, les bases de données numé iques, les exposi ions e les collabo a ions
a ec des a is es son au an d’ou ils u ilisés pou econnec e les obje s ma é iels a ec les
descendan .e.s de celleux qui les on c éés. L’é ablissemen des socié és coloniales dans ce
« con e i d’empi e » a égalemen a o isé l’éme gence de nou eaux obje s pa imoniaux :
cu iosi és, obje s de comme ce, p oduc ions a is iques ou déco a i es d’inspi a ion occi-
den ale, a s g aphiques, pa imoines mili ai e e eligieux, épa es. Le s a u de ces obje s
– qui se en de émoins cul u els e his o iques – con inue de susci e des ques ionne-
men s pa mi les popula ions insulai es aujou d’hui. Ces exemples illus en la plu ali é
des pa imoines insulai es, la complexi é de leu his oi e e les dé is que pose leu alo i-
sa ion con empo aine. Quelles son , dès lo s, les modali és app op iées pou pa age les
pa imoines insulai es ?
Les musées na ionaux e municipaux de g ande en e gu e p o iennen sou en d’anciens
musées coloniaux cons ui s aux XIXe e XXe siècles, e conse en pa ois des éci s
anc és dans l’his oi e impé iale e coloniale. O leu nomb e es e limi é dans de nom-
b eux a chipels. Pa exemple, dans les Ca aïbes anglophones, les musées les plus connus
son le Musée e gale ie na ionale d’a de Po o Spain à T ini é ( ondé en 1892), la Ga-
le ie na ionale de Jamaïque à Kings on ( ondée en 1974), e la Gale ie na ionale de G and
Cayman ( ondée en 1996). Ces ins i u ions, c i iquées pa Alissand a Cummins pou leu s
p a iques occiden ales e leu s éci s coloniaux (Cummins, 2004), on é é analysées sous
l’angle de la cons uc ion d’une sépa a ion en e na u e e cul u e, ce don émoigne le
dé eloppemen du Musée de la Ba bade e de la Socié é his o ique. En pa allèle, ce aible
nomb e de musées na ionaux es compensé pa la o e p ésence de musées communau-
ai es e d’ini ia i es pa imoniales locales, don plusieu s peu en ê e considé ées comme
des modèles en ma iè e de eche che du abili é des modes de ie insulai es (A iese-Vande-
meuleb oucke, 2018 ; B own e al., 2019 ; B own & Caesa , 2020).
23
Dans les îles du Paci ique, les musées na ionaux on é é éo gansiés à pa i des années
1980, andis que de nomb eux cen es cul u els e musées communau ai es on é é c éés
pou p omou oi e alo ise les cul u es e pa imoines au och ones – une héma ique ex-
plo ée plus en dé ail pa Conal McCa hy e Ta isi Vunidilo dans ce olume. Les p a iques
issues de ces di é en s modèles de ges ion du pa imoine se app ochen : les musées
na ionaux son aujou d’hui appelés à p end e en comp e les pe spec i es e les p a iques
au och ones ela i es au pa imoine. C’es no ammen le cas en Ao ea oa (Nou elle-Zé-
lande), où Te Papa Tonga ewa, le musée na ional, a é é conçu comme une ins i u ion
bicul u elle me an l’accen su la cul u e māo i, où la poli ique du Mana Taonga econnaî
la aleu ances ale des collec ions pou les Māo is. LeVanua u Kaljo al Sen aà Po -Vila
(Vanua u) es égalemen une ins i u ion cen ée su les communau és de l’a chipel (Geis-
ma , 2003). Tou e ois, l’un des dé is majeu s pou ces musées es de pa eni à cons ui e
un éci na ional e lé an les socié és pos coloniales dans leu di e si é – à sa oi les po-
pula ions au och ones, les agues mig a oi es liées aux égimes coloniaux e à l’expansion
capi alis e (Be in, 2020), comme le mon e Cassand e Deco ce pou la Nou elle-Calé-
donie dans ce numé o. L’a icle de Ma ine Vallée illus e aussi les di icul és à ep ésen e
une g ande di e si é de communau és dans un éci na ional – ici, celui de la Polynésie
ançaise, composée de 118 îles.
P ésen a ion du olume
Ce numé o spécial des ICOFOM S udy Se ies es le ésul a de deux colloques o ganisés
en 2023 e 2024 pa le Comi é in e na ional pou la muséologie (ICOFOM), en pa e-
na ia a ec di e ses ins i u ions si uées dans di é en s e i oi es insulai es. Plusieu s a -
icles p o iennen de eche ches menées dans le cad e du p oje plu idisciplinai eSha ed
Island S o ies be ween Sco land and he Ca ibbean: Pas , P esen , Fu u e (2022–2027), qui
in e oge les ela ions cul u elles en e ces deux a chipels9. Sha ed Island S o ies a no ammen
é é inspi é pa les écen es décla a ions conce nan les liens en e l’Écosse e la ai e an-
sa lan ique des escla es, en pa iculie ia l’acha d’îles à a e s le sys ème b i annique de
compensa ion escla agis e dans les Ca aïbes, ainsi qu’un appo duNa ional T us o
Sco landsu les liens his o iques en e ces p op ié és e l’his oi e ansa lan ique (MacKin-
non e Mackillop, 2020 ; Mel ille, 2021). En lien a ec des eche ches déjà engagées su
les ques ions de du abili é, de bien-ê e e de ie insulai e, ce con ex e a condui à la
cons i u ion d’une équipe plu idisciplinai e éunissan des che cheu .se.s e expe .e.s im-
plqiué.e.s en his oi e, en é udes pa imoniales, en é udes pou le dé eloppemen du able, en
his oi e de l'a e en é udes mémo ielles. Pa mi les ques ions posées pa ce p oje igu en
no ammen : commen con es e les éci s his o iques à a e s des a chi es app op iées,
no ammen dans l’objec i de déc i e les his oi es cachées de la ie quo idienne ? Quelles
son les o mes d’agency impliquées dans les mobili és e les déplacemen s – pa exemple,
le pa age des sa oi s comme o me de ésilience ? En lien a ec ce p oje , une con é ence
in e na ionale e le 47e symposium annuel de l’ICOFOM on é é o ganisés à l’Uni e si é
de S And ews en juin 2024, su le hèmeT ansna ional Island Museologies (B own e al.,
2024 ; Sha ed Island S o ies, 2024).
9 Ce p oje de eche che a é é sélec ionné pa le Conseil eu opéen de la eche che (ERC), inancé pa
UK Resea ch and Inno a ion (UKRI) sous la é é ence : EP/X023036/1, e es coo donné pa la p o esseu e
Ka en B own.
24
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
D’au es a icles de ce olume son issus d’un colloque in e na ional o ganisé en Nou-
elle-Calédonie, en collabo a ion en e l’ICOFOM, l’Associa ion des musées e é ablisse-
men s pa imoniaux de Nou elle-Calédonie (AMEPNC) e l’Uni e si é de la Nou elle-Ca-
lédonie10. Ce colloque, in i ulé Fa o ise la isibili é e l’a ac i i é des pa imoines
insulai es : un enjeu muséologique du XXIème siècle, po ai su les con adic ions aux-
quelles son con on és les musées e les pa imoines insulai es ace à la mon ée des eaux
e aux changemen s clima iques, en plus des enjeux de conse a ion e de ansmission.
Le colloque s’es enu en oc ob e 2023 e s’es dé oulé en deux emps : ois jou s de
p ésen a ions à l’Uni e si é de la Nou elle-Calédonie, à Nouméa, sui is de isi es dans
les ois p o inces de l’a chipel, pe me an des encon es a ec les p o essionnel.le.s du
pa imoine e la décou e e des pa imoines ma é iels e imma é iels.
Ces deux colloques son nés d’une même idée : o i un la ge pano ama des muséologies
e pa imoines insulai es. En a aillan su les pa imoines insulai es, il de ien clai que
les axonomies c éées pa les disciplines hégémoniques occiden ales ne peu en e lé e
de maniè e au hen ique l’in e connexion p o onde en e les pe sonnes, les choses e les
en i onnemen s – comme nous le appelle Conal McCa hy dans son essai, issu de sa
con é ence pléniè e p ononcée à l’Uni e si é de S And ews en juin 2024.
Les a icles sélec ionnés e publiés dans ce olume cou en un la ge é en ail de disci-
plines, de la muséologie à l’his oi e de l’a , de l’his oi e coloniale aux é udes mémo ielles,
des é udes pa imoniales aux sciences de l’en i onnemen . Les mé hodologies mobilisées
son nécessai emen in e -, ans- e plu idisciplinai es, a in de saisi la complexi é des
éci s e pa imoines insulai es ansna ionaux. Ils abo den des sous- hèmes communs,
no ammen les éci s e les appo s de pou oi sous-jacen s aux pa imoines insulai es.
Qui acon e l’his oi e e qui con ôle la mise en éci ? Commen le pa imoine insulai e
peu -il s’ou i aux éci s in isibles de l’Empi e ? Les communau és insulai es on é é
ma ginalisées sous les égimes coloniaux e les É a s-na ions : eme e en ques ion les
éci s na ionaux pou mieux ep ésen e le pa imoine e les iden i és insulai es es e un
enjeu, comme le mon en les a icles de Nicole Bi encou e Yi-An Chen su les Aïnus
au Japon, ainsi que celui de Chen su les hé i ages océaniques de Taïwan qui dé ien les
pe spec i es con inen ales sinocen iques. Ces ex es nous appellen l’impo ance du pa-
imoine dans la cons uc ion iden i ai e : les musées e les pa imoines peu en ê e de
puissan s ou ils d’a i ma ion des iden i és, mais ce son aussi des ins i u ions de pou oi ,
qui c éen des dynamiques d’inclusion e d’exclusion.
T ansmission des sa oi s adi ionnels : quels enjeux ?
La ansmission des sa oi s adi ionnels é ai un hème cen al des deux colloques. Les
é udes de cas p ésen ées dans les a icles illus en la di e si é des modes de ansmission
lo squ’il s’agi de pa imoines insulai es. Les collec ions d’obje s e les exposi ions mu-
séales son loin d’ê e les seules oies de ansmission e s les communau és e le g and
public. La ansmission in e géné a ionnelle – no ammen le ôle de la jeunesse – es es-
sen ielle, comme l’illus e le p oje Sha ed Island S o ies ( oi l’a icle de Jamie Allan
B own e Kaye Hall dans ce olume). Leu con ibu ion, ainsi que l’é ude de cas p ésen-
ée pa Leilani Wong su l’écomusée de Te Fa e Na u a, o en un ape çu des mul iples
ac eu ices impliqués dans la ansmission du pa imoine insulai e : jeunes géné a ions,
ONG, gou e nemen s, communau és au och ones e d’o igine, a is es, p o essionnel.le.s
du pa imoine, musées e au es ins i u ions pa imoniales.
10 Les en egis emen s son disponibles en ligne :h ps://www.you ube.com/wa ch? =jpyAXi-
bUc3w&lis =PLJqRixIM lnTz_ XddIk7kuY_14- bmV_.
25
Au inal, plusieu s app oches au och ones pou l’app en issage, la ansmission e la com-
p éhension du pa imoine on é é p ésen ées lo s des deux é énemen s, incluan des é-
moignages o aux e d’expé iences écues. Ces isions au och ones du pa imoine e de sa
ansmission pe me en de décons ui e le modèle muséal hé i é du monde eu opéen e
des Lumiè es. Conal McCa hy e Ta isi Vunidilo ci en ous deux l’essai du che cheu
māo i Hi ini Sidney Moko Mead (1983), consac é aux modèles océaniens de p ése a ion
e de ansmission du pa imoine. Cen es cul u els, maisons, écomusées, musées com-
munau ai es, mic o-muséologies, en e au es, son au an de modèles adop és dans les
îles du monde en ie pou mieux co espond e à leu s communau és d’o igine ( oi , pa
exemple, les chapi es d’Alexand ia Bounia e de Da ko Babić dans ce olume). Ce ai-
san , ces muséologies insulai es en o cen les liens a ec les communau és locales qui son
é i ablemen des ac ices du a ail muséal. Elles si uen égalemen l’expé ience e les
émo ions au cœu de la ansmission, y comp is pou les pe sonnes ex é ieu es aux com-
munau és d’o igine. De nomb eux émoignages des cul u es insulai es son aujou d’hui
dispe sés dans les collec ions muséales à a e s le monde. Des p oje s collabo a i s, e
pa ois les nou elles echnologies elles que les bases de données, son mobilisés pou
econnec e e imagine de nou eaux modes de p ése a ion de ce pa imoine, ou en es-
pec an e en impliquan les communau és locales. Le pa age de l’au o i é e des sa oi s
es une é ape essen ielle pou inclu e de nou elles oix dans les collec ions muséales ( oi
dans ce olume les con ibu ions de Ba sinas e al., Be in & Tissandie , Vunidilo).
Mais que se passe- -il lo sque la ansmission s’in e omp ? Quels son les isques aux-
quels les pa imoines insulai es son con on és ? Pa mi eux ci ons: le déclin des p a iques
au och ones causé pa le colonialisme, les missions eligieuses e l’escla age ; la c ise cli-
ma ique e la mon ée des eaux ; les ca as ophes na u elles. Que peu -on ai e ? Quelle es
la ésilience possible des îles ?
Face aux menaces que ep ésen en le ou isme in ensi , l’é osion cô iè e e la mon ée des
eaux, la numé isa ion du pa imoine insulai e es sou en p ésen ée comme une solu ion.
Dans un monde pos -pandémique globalisé, la isibili é du pa imoine insulai e augmen e
g âce au numé ique. Tou e ois, ces p oje s de numé isa ion peu en ep odui e le ega d
ou is ique, hé i é de l’adminis a ion coloniale (Thompson, 2007) – une ques ion soule-
ée pa plusieu s au eu . ice.s de ce numé o, no ammen dans le cas des îles Ma quises.
Commen la muséologie peu -elle conjugue his oi e e echnologie, ou en p enan en
comp e les ac u es numé iques subies pa ce aines popula ions, e acili e les échanges
à dis ance a ec le es e du monde ? D’au es o mes de isibili é son -elles p é é ables ?
E pa ailleu s, ce e isibili é es -elle dépendan e du bon onc ionnemen du sec eu ou-
is ique ? Quelles son les logiques économiques sous-jacen es à ce e o de isibili é ?
Face à l’u gence clima ique, les médias p ésen en sou en les îles comme des lieux me-
nacés dans leu e i oi e e leu s modes de ie. À l’échelle in e na ionale, on econnaî
de plus en plus la aleu des sa oi s au och ones e adi ionnels en ma iè e de ésilience
clima ique e de p ése a ion des écosys èmes humains e na u els. Pou an , bien que la
di e si é biocul u elle au och one soi de plus en plus alo isée, elle es égalemen en oie
de dispa i ion à un y hme ala man . En i on un dixième de la popula ion mondiale i
su des îles (Lowen hal, 2007). Celles-ci ne cou en que « 6,7 % de la su ace e es e »
mais « ab i en en i on 20 % de la biodi e si é mondiale e , malheu eusemen , égalemen
p ès de 50 % des espèces menacées e 75 % des ex inc ions connues depuis l’expansion
eu opéenne à a e s le monde » (Fe nández-Palacios e al., 2021).
32
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
Ma de islas y poé ica de la elación:
epensa la insula idad
Ma ion Be in
Uni e si é ca holique de Lou ain & Fonds na ional scien i ique de la
eche che (FNRS) – B uxelles, Belgique
[email p o ec ed]
Ka en B own
Uni e si y o S And ews – Sco land
[email p o ec ed]
Tell Them
“[…]
ell hem we a e papaya golden
sunse s bleeding
in o a gli e ing open sea
we a e skies unclu e ed
majes ic in hei sweeping land-
scape
we a e he ocean
e i ying and egal in i s powe .
[…]
bu mos impo an ly ell hem
we don’ wan o lea e
we’ e ne e wan ed o lea e
and ha we
a e no hing wi hou ou islands.”
(Ka hy Je nil-Kijine , 2011)11
Desde una pe spec i a eu opea con inen al, las islas han sido du an e mucho iempo con-
side adas como espacios sepa ados y aislados, desconec ados en e sí y de su en o no
más amplio. Las his o ias coloniales, así como los mo imien os cul u ales y cien í icos,
han e o zado las on e as en e islas, pueblos y obje os. Es e núme o doble especial
de laICOFOM S udy Se ies p opone epensa es a isión adicional de las islas, euniendo
11 El poema más conocido de Ka hy Je nil-Kijine ,Tell Them(2011), ad ie e sob e las
consecuencias del aumen o del ni el del ma pa a los a olones del Pací ico. h ps://www.ka hyje nilkijine .
com
In oducción:
33
con ibuciones de odo el mundo que explo an pe spec i as al e na i as, especialmen e desde
las egiones del Pací ico y el Ca ibe, con elación a las islas oceánicas (es deci , aquellas o -
madas po co al o po e upciones olcánicas subma inas [Deleuze, 2002]). Muchas de
es as con ibuciones esuenan con el ipo de pensamien o insula exp esado en el poema
ci ado an e io men e de la poe a, ac i is a, docen e e in é p e e de las Islas Ma shall,
Ka hy Je nil-Kijine , que e oca una isión de in e conexión en e los pueblos y el océano,
así como una esis encia indígena al desplazamien o. El académico ongano- iyiano Epeli
Hau‘o a (1939–2009) (“Ou sea o islands”, 1994), y el poe a y pensado ma iniqués
Édoua d Glissan (1928–2011) (Poé ica de la elación, 1996) ya habían desa ollado ideas
a ines sob e la conec i idad ma í ima y la elacionalidad sub e ánea en con aposición
a la sepa ación; un concep o cla e que se e leja en muchos de los a ículos que siguen.
Los es udios insula es y sus concep os e óneos han sido modelados po las ca ac e ís i-
cas dis in i as de las islas, en pa icula su condición de es a odeadas de agua y su pe -
cepción como luga es “ emo os” desde una óp ica con inen al. Po ejemplo, el é mino
insula /insula idad, de i ado del la ín, di ie e en su uso en e el ancés (insulai e, donde
implica aislamien o ísico y men al) y el inglés (donde a eces se asocia con una o ma neg-
a i a de in ospección). De mane a simila , las ideas de delimi ación asociadas a las islas
pueden se is as nega i amen e si se in e p e an como o mas de encie o. Sin emba go,
desde el pun o de is a de los isleños, la iqueza de su cul u a, su sen ido de pe enencia y
su cosmo isión (dù chas en gaélico escocés), desmien en las pe cepciones me opoli anas de
“lejanía” (B own, 2019), y ab en caminos hacia la in e conec i idad.
En el ámbi o de los es udios de la memo ia, el é mino ansnacional gene a discu sos
sob e la memo ia colec i a más allá del Es ado-nación (De Cesa i & Rigney, 2014). Es a
noción pe mi e nue as comp ensiones sob e edes de come cio e in e cambio que a a ie-
san on e as nacionales, así como sob e el concep o de “lo local” den o de imagina ios
ansnacionales más amplios (Bond, 2023). En palab as de De Cesa i y Rigney, el ans-
nacionalismo “ econoce la impo ancia de los ma cos nacionales jun o con el po encial de
la p oducción cul u al an o pa a e o za los como pa a ascende los”, lo cual nos in i a
a es udia “ ayec o ias no lineales y empo alidades complejas” desde un ma co más
abie o (De Cesa i & Rigney, 2014, pp. 19, 23). Tomando es os p incipios como pun o
de pa ida pa a una discusión sob e museos insula es y comunidades pa imoniales, el
en oque ansnacional nos impulsa a p egun a nos: ¿cómo uncionan las cul u as de la
memo ia en las islas? ¿Cómo in e ac úan las na a i as museológicas a escala ansnacio-
nal, especialmen e a lo la go de las ac u as p oducidas po el colonialismo, dado que
“las co ien es c uzadas ansnacionales ambién es aban en el co azón del colonialismo,
la escla i ud y o as o mas de explo ación del capi al globalizado, implicando la en eda-
da y iolen a asime ía de comunidades acializadas”? (De Cesa i & Rigney, 2014, p. 24).
Como se mencionó an e io men e, au o es de dis in as islas han p opues o que es as son
espacios de conexión a a és del ma que las odea. Muchos pueblos isleños, especial-
men e los del Pací ico, ienen una la ga his o ia de iajes oceánicos mul igene acionales
(Lowen hal, 2007). En su in luyen e a ículo“Ou sea o islands” (1994), Hau‘o a sos-
iene que los pueblos del Pací ico no i ían en “islas pe didas en un ma lejano”, sino
como habi an es de un “ma de islas”, desa iando la isión con inen al dominan e. Según
él, “los o as e os suelen concebi las islas como espacios sepa ados y con inados, de ini-
dos po sus on e as (nacionales), muchas eces es ablecidas po dinámicas coloniales y
poscoloniales, y po ello pasan po al o su conec i idad, he e ogeneidad y complejidad”
(p. 152). Hau‘o a e oca los mi os, leyendas, adiciones o ales y cosmo isiones de los
34
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
pueblos de Oceanía, que in eg an el océano, el cielo y el in amundo como pa es de una
Oceanía que no se de ine po su pequeñez, como sí lo sugie e la mi ada con inen al.
O os océanos y ma es del mundo han se ido ambién como u as que conec an pueb-
los y e i o ios, pe mi iendo la ci culación de bienes angibles e in angibles. El océano
Índico, po ejemplo, ha sido du an e siglos una ía come cial que conec aba impe ios
del Á ica o ien al con Asia (Bouche , 2019; Na i el & Ragoanah, 2007). En el con ex o
del Ca ibe, la u a iangula de come cio ue o o co edo ma í imo que anspo ó no
solo pe sonas y me cancías, sino ambién cul u as, his o ias, p ác icas, modos de ida y
memo ias di e sas. A a és de esas u as, bienes ma e iales e inma e iales se aslada on
de un luga a o o, más allá de las on e as nacionales. Pa a los pueblos escla izados
asladados desde Á ica occiden al al Ca ibe, es as u as come ciales die on luga a una
cul u a diaspó ica basada en la idea del exilio y la ausencia (Chamoiseau, 2016; Chi al-
lon, 2004; Co ias e al., 2010). Es a conexión men al ansoceánica alimen ó la noción
del “A lán ico neg o”, que incula a los pueblos a icanos con sus descendien es en las
islas ca ibeñas y en Amé ica con inen al (Gil oy, 1993; éanse ambién los au o es de la
Nég i ude ancó ona).
Las museologías insula es del Ca ibe ienen una ue e p esencia en es e núme o especial,
ya que la his o ia ca ibeña no puede sepa a se del auma de la escla i ud ansa lán ica
y el colonialismo en las Amé icas. Di e sos au o es ca ibeños han e lexionado sob e el
impac o de es a his o ia aumá ica en nomb e de sus poblaciones. Pa ick Chamoiseau
desc ibe el exilio y sus consecuencias al c ea desde la ausencia, los acíos de memo ia y
los as os mínimos: una “ma e ia de la ausencia” (2016). Édoua d Glissan , nacido en
Ma inica, de endió la idea de una “poé ica de la elación” pa a exp esa las in e ela-
ciones y los encuen os en e pe sonas, obje os e his o ias en el Ca ibe, especialmen e con
el con inen e a icano, de donde p oceden la mayo ía de los pueblos ca ibeños. U ilizó el
concep o de izoma12 como o ma de explica cómo los pueblos del Ca ibe es án in e -
conec ados en e sí y con o as egiones del mundo; un concep o que ha sido e omado e-
cien emen e po in es igado es en museología pa a c i ica an o las o mas de exhibición
del a e como pa a pensa en una museología ca ibeña y una p ác ica comuni a ia más
allá del museo adicional, inculado al colonialismo y a la ex acción (Keohane, 2023;
McGui e, 2023).
En el ma co del p oyec o Sha ed Island S o ies, la his o iado a ini ense Hea he Ca eau
ha p opues o ecien emen e el concep o de euni los agmen os de his o ias ocul as de las
clases medias y abajado as en e Escocia y el Ca ibe, a a és de un p oyec o a chi ís i-
co de allado lle ado a cabo en ambas o illas del A lán ico (Ca eau, 2024). Al igual que
Hau‘o a, o os pensado es del Pací ico han ede inido la conexión en e las islas más allá
de las on e as coloniales y han de endido la idea de Moana Oceania.13 Es as e lexiones
desde el Pací ico, el Ca ibe y o as egiones han con ibuido a eposiciona a los pueblos
isleños en un con ex o global, alen ando una isión ansnacional de las islas y del mundo.
Hoy en día, los pa imonios insula es no conciben al océano como una ba e a ni a la ie -
a como una ga an ía de segu idad. Como explo an Foley e al. (siguiendo los abajos de
Tsing, 2015; Pugh & Chandle , 2021), los es udios insula es con empo áneos se en ocan
en el pode del pensamien o insula más allá del p og eso lineal y del desa ollo asociado
12 En bo ánica, un izoma es un allo sub e áneo que c ece ho izon almen e en luga de e ical-
men e, p oduciendo aíces en pun os es a égicos pa a el c ecimien o de nue as plan as.
13 Moanasigni ica “océano” en las lenguas polinesias.
35
a la mode nidad (Foley e al., 2023), en a izando las elaciones p opias de las islas y las
p ác icas indígenas. Al inal concluyen: “Las cul u as insula es y la insula idad pueden
des aca an o la mo ilidad y el mo imien o como la p o unda conexión con el luga ”
(Foley e al., 2023, p. 1809).
Museologías y pa imonios insula es: ¿qué son?
En es e con ex o, ¿qué ienen en común los pa imonios insula es del mundo? Resul a
di ícil conside a los pa imonios insula es como una o alidad uni o me, dado lo di e -
sos que son. Sin emba go, como demues an a ios au o es en es e núme o especial, los
pa imonios insula es de di e en es e i o ios y ayec o ias compa en cie os pun os en
común. De hecho, muchos de ellos han su ido – y algunos siguen su iendo – dispe sión,
desconexión, pé dida, des ucción, desin e és, ausencia de conse ación y ansmisión,
ep esen aciones e óneas y ma ginación, en e o os p oblemas.
Du an e la colonización y la o mación de los Es ados-nación, muchas cul u as inma e i-
ales ue on p ohibidas u ol idadas. Po ejemplo, a nume osas lenguas se les p ohibió su
uso o se p ac icaban en sec e o. En las úl imas décadas, sin emba go, las comunidades
insula es han comenzado a de ende sus iden idades a a és de sus cul u as y pa imo-
nios. Pa alelamen e, olas de “coleccionismo insula ” (island collec ing, Longai , 2024)
p o oca on la dispe sión de los pa imonios ma e iales ( éanse los a ículos de Widdis &
Reisz y de Scude i en es e olumen). Es as colecciones se o ma on de di e sas mane as,
desde donaciones has a saqueos iolen os. A a és de su his o ia, los obje os ma e iales
de las islas ci cula on po odo el mundo y pasa on a o ma pa e de colecciones públicas
y p i adas (Meland i & Guio , 2021).
Desde la década de 1960, los museos y las comunidades locales han abajado conjun a-
men e pa a ede ini las elaciones de pode , las o mas de ep esen ación y las na a i as
(Pee s & B own, 2003). Como se mues a en es e olumen, los p oyec os colabo a i os,
las bases de da os digi ales, las exposiciones y las p oducciones a ís icas son he amien-
as que pe mi en econec a los obje os ma e iales con los descendien es de quienes los
c ea on. La implan ación de sociedades coloniales en es e “con e i del impe io” ambién
a o eció la apa ición de nue os obje os pa imoniales: cu iosidades, p oduc os come -
ciales, ob as a ís icas o deco a i as inspi adas en Occiden e, a es g á icas, pa imonios
mili a es y eligiosos, y es os de nau agios. El pa imonio – o el es a us – de es os obje os,
como es igos cul u ales e his ó icos, sigue gene ando in e ogan es en e las poblaciones
isleñas hoy en día. Es os ejemplos ilus an la plu alidad de los pa imonios insula es,
la complejidad de su his o ia y los desa íos que en en an pa a su alo ización con em-
po ánea. ¿Cuáles se ían, en onces, las o mas adecuadas de compa i es os pa imonios?
Los museos nacionales y municipales de g an escala suelen ene sus o ígenes en museos
coloniales del siglo diecinue e y ein e y, en consecuencia, a eces conse an na a i as
aún ma cadas po las his o ias impe iales. Además, en muchos a chipiélagos su núme o es
educido. Po ejemplo, en el Ca ibe angló ono, los museos más des acados son el Museo
Nacional y Gale ía de A e de Pue o España, en T inidad ( undado en 1892); la Gale ía
Nacional de Jamaica, en Kings on (1974); y la Gale ía Nacional de G an Caimán (1996).
Es as ins i uciones, c i icadas po Alissand a Cummins po su adhesión a p ác icas oc-
ciden ales y na a i as coloniales (Cummins, 2004), ambién han sido obje o de análisis
desde la pe spec i a de la dico omía na u aleza/cul u a en el desa ollo del Museo e Ins i-
u o His ó ico de Ba bados. Sin emba go, la escasez de museos nacionales se compensa
36
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
con la p edominancia de museos comuni a ios e inicia i as pa imoniales de base local,
muchas de las cuales pueden conside a se modelos ejempla es de sos enibilidad en los
modos de ida insula es (A iese-Vandemeuleb oucke, 2018; B own e al., 2019; B own
& Caesa , 2020).
En las islas del Pací ico, los museos nacionales han sido e o mados desde los años 80, al
iempo que se c ea on muchos cen os cul u ales y museos comuni a ios pa a p omo e y
o alece las cul u as y pa imonios indígenas, como desa ollan Conal McCa hy y Ta isi
Vunidilo en es e olumen. Las p ác icas asociadas a es os dis in os modelos de ges ión del
pa imonio han con luido: los museos nacionales se han is o llamados a in eg a pe spec i-
as y sabe es indígenas en su abajo pa imonial. Es e es el caso, po ejemplo, en Ao ea oa
(Nue a Zelanda), donde el Museo Nacional Te Papa Tonga ewa se undó como ins i ución
bicul u al, con un ue e en oque en la cul u a mao í, y donde la polí ica Mana Taonga
econoce el alo ances al de las colecciones pa a el pueblo mao í. ElVanua u Kaljo al
Sen a, en Po Vila (Vanua u), es o a ins i ución que si úa a las comunidades del a chip-
iélago en el cen o de su labo (Geisma , 2003). No obs an e, uno de los g andes desa íos
que en en an es os museos es la c eación de na a i as nacionales que e lejen la di e sidad
de las sociedades poscoloniales, incluyendo a los pueblos indígenas, las oleadas mig a o ias
del pe iodo colonial y la expansión capi alis a (Be in, 2020), como demues a Cassand e
Deco ce en el caso de Nue a Caledonia en es e olumen. El a ículo de Ma ine Vallée, po
su pa e, expone las di icul ades de ep esen a una g an a iedad de comunidades den o de
una na a i a nacional común, en el caso de la Polinesia F ancesa, compues a po 118 islas.
P esen ación del olumen
Es e núme o especial de laICOFOM S udy Se ies es el esul ado de dos con e encias o ganizadas
en 2023 y 2024 po el Comi é In e nacional de Museología (ICOFOM), en colabo ación con
di e sas ins i uciones ubicadas en di e en es e i o ios insula es. Va ios de los ensayos p o ienen
de in es igaciones ealizadas en el ma co del p oyec o mul idisciplina io Sha ed Island S o ies
be ween Sco land and he Ca ibbean: Pas , P esen , Fu u e (2022–2027), que plan ea una
se ie de in e ogan es sob e las elaciones cul u ales en e es os a chipiélagos.14 Es e p oyec o
ue mo i ado, en pa e, po e idencias ecien es sob e los ínculos de Escocia con la a a
ansa lán ica de escla os, especialmen e en lo que espec a a la comp a de islas a a és
del sis ema b i ánico de compensación po escla i ud en el Ca ibe, así como po un in-
o me delNa ional T us o Sco land sob e las conexiones his ó icas en e sus p opiedades
y es a his o ia ansa lán ica (MacKinnon y Mackillop, 2020; Mel ille, 2021). Combinado
con in e eses académicos ya consolidados sob e sos enibilidad, bienes a y ida insula , ello
condujo a la o mación de un equipo de in es igación inhe en emen e mul idisciplina io,
con pa icipan es de campos como la his o ia, los es udios del pa imonio, el desa ollo
sos enible, la his o ia del a e y los es udios de la memo ia.
Las p egun as cen ales de es e p oyec o incluyen: ¿cómo cues iona las his o ias o iciales a
a és de a chi os ele an es, e elando his o ias ocul as de la ida co idiana? ¿Qué o mas
de agencia es án implicadas en la mo ilidad y el desplazamien o – po ejemplo, compa i
conocimien os como o ma de esiliencia? Como uno de sus p incipales esul ados, se cele-
b a on una con e encia in e nacional y el 47º simposio anual de ICOFOM en la Uni e si-
dad de S And ews en junio de 2024, bajo el emaT ansna ional Island Museologies (B own
e al., 2024; Sha ed Island S o ies, 2024).
14 Es e p oyec o de in es igación ue seleccionado po el Consejo Eu opeo de In es igación (ERC),
inanciado po UK Resea ch and Inno a ion (UKRI) con la e e encia: EP/X023036/1, y es á coo dinado
po la p o eso a Ka en B own.
37
O os a ículos incluidos en es e olumen p o ienen de una con e encia in e nacional cel-
eb ada en Nue a Caledonia, o ganizada conjun amen e po ICOFOM, la Asociación de
Museos y En idades Pa imoniales de Nue a Caledonia (AMEPNC), y la Uni e sidad de
Nue a Caledonia.15 El ema de dicha con e encia ueAumen a la isibilidad y el a ac i o
del pa imonio insula : un desa ío museológico del siglo XXI, que abo dó los p oblemas
con adic o ios que en en an los museos y pa imonios insula es en elación con el au-
men o del ni el del ma , el cambio climá ico, y los desa íos de p ese ación y ansmis-
ión. Es e encuen o u o luga en oc ub e de 2023 y se di idió en dos pa es: es días de
p esen aciones académicas en la Uni e sidad de Nue a Caledonia (Noumea), seguidos de
una gi a pa a conoce a p o esionales del museo y el pa imonio en las es p o incias del
a chipiélago, y expe imen a he encias angibles e in angibles in si u.
Ambas con e encias pa ie on de una misma p emisa: o ece una isión amplia de las mu-
seologías y pa imonios insula es. Quienes abajamos en es e campo econocemos que las
axonomías c eadas po disciplinas hegemónicas occiden ales no e lejan con au en icidad
las in e conexiones p o undas en e pe sonas, obje os y en o nos – como lo ecue da Conal
McCa hy en su ensayo basado en la con e encia magis al que p onunció en la Uni e sidad
de S And ews en junio de 2024.
Los a ículos ecibidos y seleccionados pa a es e olumen p o ienen de una amplia gama de
disciplinas: museología, his o ia del a e, his o ia colonial, es udios de la memo ia, es udios
del pa imonio y es udios ambien ales. Las me odologías empleadas son, necesa iamen e,
in e disciplina ias, ansdisciplina ias y mul idisciplina ias, con el in de abo da la comple-
jidad de las his o ias y pa imonios insula es ansnacionales. Los ex os abo dan sub emas
comunes como las na a i as y elaciones de pode que subyacen a los pa imonios insu-
la es. ¿Quién cuen a las his o ias y quién las con ola? ¿Cómo puede el pa imonio insula
ab i se a ela os silenciados del impe io? Las comunidades insula es han sido ma ginadas
an o bajo egímenes coloniales como en el ma co de los Es ados-nación: desa ia las na -
a i as nacionales pa a ep esen a mejo las iden idades y pa imonios isleños sigue siendo
un e o, como demues an los ensayos de Nicole Bi encou y Yi-An Chen sob e los pueb-
los indígenas ainu en Japón, y el ex o de Chen sob e los legados oceánicos de Taiwán, que
desa ían las pe spec i as con inen ales y sinocén icas. Es os abajos nos ecue dan que el
pa imonio y los museos pueden se he amien as pode osas pa a la cons ucción iden i a -
ia, pe o ambién son ins i uciones de pode que gene an dinámicas de inclusión y exclusión.
T ansmisión del sabe adicional: ¿qué es á en juego?
La ansmisión del sabe adicional ue un eje cla e en ambas con e encias. Los es udios de
caso p esen ados en los a ículos ilus an la a iedad de o mas de ansmisión inculadas al
pa imonio insula . Las colecciones de obje os y las exposiciones museog á icas es án lejos
de se los únicos canales pa a ansmi i es os pa imonios a las comunidades y a la sociedad
en gene al. La ansmisión in e gene acional – y en pa icula el papel de las nue as gene -
aciones – es undamen al, como lo ejempli ica el p oyec oSha ed Island S o ies ( éanse los
a ículos de Jamie Allan B own y Kaye Hall en es e olumen). Su con ibución, jun o con el
es udio de caso de Leilani Wong sob e el ecomuseo Te Fa e, o ece una isión gene al de los
dis in os ac o es in oluc ados en la ansmisión del pa imonio insula : jó enes, ONG, go-
bie nos, comunidades indígenas y de o igen, a is as, p o esionales del pa imonio, museos
e ins i uciones a ines.
15 Las g abaciones es án disponibles en línea:h ps://www.you ube.com/wa ch? =jpyAXi-
bUc3w&lis =PLJqRixIM lnTz_ XddIk7kuY_14- bmV_.
38
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
En úl ima ins ancia, en ambas con e encias se p esen a on di e sos en oques indígenas so-
b e el ap endizaje, la ansmisión y la comp ensión del pa imonio, incluyendo el es imonio
o al y la expe iencia i ida. Es as isiones indígenas pe mi en cues iona el modelo de mu-
seo he edado del mundo eu opeo y de la Ilus ación. Tan o Conal McCa hy como Ta isi
Vunidilo ci an el ensayo del académico de o igen mao í Hi ini Sidney Moko Mead (1983),
sob e modelos indígenas de conse ación y ansmisión del pa imonio en Oceanía. Cen-
os cul u ales, casas, ecomuseos, museos comuni a ios, mic omuseologías, en e o os, son
modelos adop ados po muchas islas del mundo pa a ajus a se mejo a las necesidades de
sus comunidades de o igen ( éanse, po ejemplo, los capí ulos de Alexand ia Bounia y Da -
ko Babić en es e olumen). De es e modo, es as museologías insula es e ue zan los ínculos
con las comunidades locales que pa icipan ac i amen e en el abajo museís ico. También
colocan la expe iencia y las emociones en el cen o de la ansmisión, incluso pa a isi an es
ex e nos. Muchos es imonios de cul u as isleñas se encuen an ac ualmen e dispe sos en
colecciones museales a ni el mundial. P oyec os colabo a i os, y en ocasiones nue as ec-
nologías como bases de da os digi ales, se han u ilizado pa a econec a y p omo e o mas
inno ado as de p ese a es e pa imonio, espe ando e in oluc ando a las comunidades
locales. La au o idad compa ida y el sabe compa ido son pasos cla e hacia la inclusión de
nue as oces en las colecciones museales ( éanse en es e olumen los a ículos de Ba sinas
e al., Be in & Tissandie , Vunidilo).
Pe o ¿qué sucede cuando la ansmisión se de iene? ¿Cuáles son los iesgos que amenazan
al pa imonio insula ? En e ellos se encuen an el decli e de las p ác icas adicionales
causado po la colonización, las misiones eligiosas y la escla i ud; la c isis climá ica y la
subida del ni el del ma ; y los desas es na u ales. ¿Qué puede hace se? ¿Cuán esilien es
son las islas?
An e amenazas como el u ismo no sos enible, la e osión cos e a y el aumen o del ni el
del ma , la digi alización del pa imonio insula se p esen a a menudo como una solución.
En un mundo globalizado pospandemia, la isibilidad del pa imonio insula ha aumen a-
do g acias a las ecnologías digi ales. Sin emba go, los p oyec os de digi alización pueden
ep oduci la mi ada u ís ica, que iene aíces en la adminis ación colonial (Thompson,
2007), una p oblemá ica abo dada po a ios au o es de es e olumen, incluyendo los p o-
enien es de las Islas Ma quesas. ¿Cómo puede la museología dialoga con es as his o ias
y con el c ecimien o ecnológico, eniendo en cuen a las ac u as digi ales que en en an
algunas comunidades y la necesidad de acili a in e cambios emo os con el es o del mun-
do? ¿Se ían p e e ibles o as o mas de isibilidad? Además, ¿depende la isibilidad del pa-
imonio insula del buen uncionamien o del sec o u ís ico? ¿Cuáles son las implicaciones
económicas de es e es ue zo po aumen a la isibilidad?
An e la eme gencia climá ica, los medios de comunicación suelen p esen a a las islas como
e i o ios y modos de ida en pelig o. A escala in e nacional, exis e un econocimien o
c ecien e del alo de los sabe es indígenas y adicionales en elación con la esiliencia
climá ica y la p ese ación de los ecosis emas humanos y biológicos. Sin emba go, aunque
se alo a cada ez más la di e sidad biocul u al indígena, ambién es á desapa eciendo a un
i mo ala man e. Ap oximadamen e una décima pa e de la población mundial i e en islas
(Lowen hal, 2007). Es as cub en “solo el 6,7 % de la supe icie e es e”, pe o “albe gan
ce ca del 20 % de la biodi e sidad del plane a, y lamen ablemen e ambién el 50 % de las
especies amenazadas y el 75 % de las ex inciones conocidas desde la expansión eu opea
global” (Fe nández-Palacios e al., 2021).
39
Una de las p incipales mo i aciones de es e olumen es comp ende mejo lo que apo a la
ansmisión in e gene acional del conocimien o indígena y adicional a los deba es sob e
jus icia climá ica, especialmen e en lo que espec a al papel de las pe sonas jó enes. Es e
en oque se alinea con una endencia ecien e en los es udios museológicos a in oluc a se ac-
i amen e en la eme gencia climá ica. Po ejemplo, Fiona Came on, Jenni e Newell, Robe
Janes, Richa d Sandell y o os han abogado po que los museos “despie en” y se comp o-
me an con la acción climá ica (Came on e al., 2012; 2015; Newell, 2017; Janes & Sandell,
2019). Al mismo iempo, o ganizaciones de apoyo museológico como el ICOM y NEMO
p omue en ac i amen e el papel de los museos como aliados en la consecución de los Ob-
je i os de Desa ollo Sos enible (ODS) (McGhee, 2022). Asimismo, han su gido nume osas
edes de pa imonio y disciplinas a ines pa a gene a capacidades e impulsa una acción
climá ica de impac o en dis in os ni eles.
Va ios a ículos seleccionados pa a es e olumen abo dan p ecisamen e nue as o mas de
pensa el pa imonio insula y la insula idad en elación con la c isis ecológica. Conside ando
no solo los concep os del An opoceno, sino ambién los mundos más-que-humanos, es os
ex os se basan en las e lexiones de in es igado as como Fiona Came on, Ki s en Wehne ,
Jenni e Newell y Libby Robin, quienes explo an las elaciones en e las pe sonas y la na u-
aleza en el con ex o de los museos, una emá ica que adicionalmen e ha sido abo dada po
la an opología (Came on & Neilson, 2015; Newell e al. [eds.], 2017; Mo an, 2017). Po
ejemplo, Wehne de ine la museología ecológica como una o ma de pensamien o que combi-
na na u aleza y cul u a pa a desa olla nue as o mas de en ende la in e dependencia en e
los mundos humanos y no humanos, especialmen e en el con ex o aus aliano.
Es en es e ma co donde es e olumen de laICOFOM S udy Se ies espe a con ibui con
nue as ideas y o ece he amien as de e lexión pa a el p esen e y el u u o de los es udios
museológicos y pa imoniales.
En es e núme o especial, buscamos gene a conocimien o sob e las elaciones en e los sa-
be es ecológicos adicionales (T adi ional Ecological Knowledge, TEK) y la museología,
econociendo el alo de los museos y si ios pa imoniales como luga es de in es igación
que pueden ayuda nos a en ende cómo nos hemos adap ado a los cambios climá icos a lo
la go del iempo. Va ios a ículos aquí eunidos explo an de qué mane a ese conocimien o
adicional es á in luyendo en la academia y en las polí icas públicas desde una pe spec i-
a global. Al mismo iempo, la ansmisión in e gene acional del conocimien o adicional
ayuda a sal agua da iden idades y memo ias que co en el iesgo de pe de se. Los museos,
si ios pa imoniales y cen os cul u ales pueden se pun os de e e encia pa a es e abajo, al
o ece espacios donde pe sonas de dis in as gene aciones se elacionan con su pa imonio,
o aleciendo así el sen ido de iden idad y de pe enencia.
Con mi as a desa olla una museología ecológica en iempos de c isis climá ica, plan ea-
mos las siguien es p egun as: ¿Qué nos enseñan los pa imonios indígenas y los sabe es
adicionales en con ex os u ales, cos e os e insula es sob e la esiliencia en e al cambio
climá ico, la pé dida de biodi e sidad y la e osión cos e a? ¿Cómo pueden los museos y si-
ios pa imoniales abaja con la biodi e sidad local, las lenguas y los elemen os singula es
del e i o io pa a omen a la esiliencia local? ¿Cuáles son los desa íos y opo unidades de
pa icipa en los deba es sob e sos enibilidad desde las humanidades ambien ales, especial-
men e en elación con los imagina ios oceánicos? ¿Qué apo a la ansmisión in e gene a-
cional de los sabe es indígenas y adicionales a las discusiones sob e jus icia climá ica, en
pa icula espec o al papel de la ju en ud?
40
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
Los a ículos incluidos en es e olumen ue on seleccionados po seis in eg an es de los
comi és cien í ico y o ganizado de las con e encias celeb adas en Nue a Caledonia y
Escocia, ep esen ando una di e sidad de e i o ios y disciplinas. Nues a in ención es
que es e núme o cons i uya una con ibución sólida al campo de los es udios sob e el
pa imonio y las museologías insula es, complemen ando la colección de publicaciones de
ICOFOM en ocadas en la descolonización de la museología y en e i o ios poco es udia-
dos (como la museología ca ibeña, po ejemplo).
En lo que sigue, los a ículos han sido o ganizados en o no a es g andes ejes emá icos:
Coleccionismo colonial y a chi o – Con es a la his o ia; Repensa las museologías insu-
la es indígenas; T ansmisión in e gene acional y ecologías insula es.
Coleccionismo colonial y a chi o – Con es a la his o ia
El coleccionismo colonial cons i uye el pun o de pa ida de los p ime os a ículos de es e
olumen. El ex o de B iony Widdis y Emma Reisz, “Colecciona la ambigüedad: obje os
y las pos idas del impe io en la isla de I landa”, cues iona las na a i as en o no a los
legados del impe io en I landa (especialmen e I landa del No e), median e una combi-
nación inno ado a de biog a ía de obje os, au oe nog a ía e his o ia “no pública”. Al
mos a cómo los obje os acumulan capas de his o ia a lo la go del iempo, las au o as
explo an el papel del impe io en la con igu ación de las di isiones in e nas de I landa, un
país que apenas comienza a abo da su pasado colonial. Señalan que la cop oducción po
sí sola no bas a pa a en en a los desa íos de la descolonización en con ex os de memo-
ias colec i as p o undamen e a aigadas, y p oponen que la au oe nog a ía puede ayuda
a e ela los en edos con el impe ialismo global y la explo ación colonial. Los museos,
sugie en, pueden ans o ma se de se depósi os de his o ias con es adas a pla a o mas
pa a la e lexión, la educación y el in e cambio.
El a ículo de Ma ia Chia a Scude i, “De Bo neo a Leices e : en edos coloniales en la
colección de “a esanías” de D yan”, examina la ci culación global y la eu ilización,
en el con ex o come cial y educa i o de Leices e (Reino Unido), de obje os a esanales
p o enien es de la isla de Bo neo en el siglo XX. La au o a se basa en nue as uen es de
a chi o sob e la colección de Ha y Peach pa a analiza cómo la o og a ía ue u ilizada
pa a di undi y cons ui conocimien os sob e la cul u a ma e ial de Bo neo.
Las colecciones y a chi os dispe sos ambién son undamen ales en el con ex o del in-
en a io del pa imonio kanak dispe so, un conjun o de obje os p ese ados en museos
de odo el mundo y egis ados en una base de da os lide ada po el Museo de Nue a
Caledonia. Es e p oceso es desc i o po Ma ion Be in y Ma ianne Tissandie en su a í-
culo “El in en a io del pa imonio kanak dispe so: museología ansnacional y e i o ios
en elazados”. Las au o as demues an cómo es a base de da os cons i uye un ejemplo
de museología ansnacional en a ios ni eles: egis a colecciones kanak dispe sas en
museos, ci cula los da os e in e ac úa con o as bases de da os in e nacionales. También
des acan su impo ancia local, ya que de uel e in o mación sob e las colecciones a las
comunidades y o ece mayo espacio pa a el sabe kanak.
El a ículo de Vainui Ba sinas, Jean-Daniel Tokainiua De a ine, Vaiana Gi aud, Hélène
Guio , Tama a Ma ic, Magali Méland i y Ma ine Vallée, “P ác icas colabo a i as y ans-
misión de conocimien os ma e iales e inma e iales en la Polinesia F ancesa”, es un ex-
celen e ejemplo de me odologías colabo a i as aplicadas al es udio de colecciones dispe -
41
sas. El es udio se cen a en abanicos adicionales polinesios conse ados en el Musée du
quai B anly–Jacques Chi ac. El p oyec o, i ulado Ra a’a, busca cues iona y descoloniza
los sabe es museológicos sob e es as colecciones, descen aliza los en oques de ecolec-
ción y acili a el acceso a los descendien es de quienes c ea on los abanicos. Es e p oyec o
abo da, en ese sen ido, la sobe anía indígena en el con ex o de las colecciones y los da os.
Repensa las museologías insula es indígenas
Es a sección comienza con el a ículo de Conal McCa hy, “Ap ende de las museologías
del Pací ico: pa imonio, cul u a y medioambien e en las islas de Moana Oceania”. Basán-
dose en in es igaciones y ejemplos p oceden es de museologías indígenas y oceánicas,
McCa hy analiza casos en Aus alia y Ao ea oa Nue a Zelanda pa a demos a que los
pueblos de Moana Oceania ya han azado caminos pa a p o ege nues o pa imonio
y nues o plane a. Al ascende el modelo adicional de museo cen ado en obje os y
adop a un en oque elacional que aba ca el cuidado del “ e i o io”, la cul u a y las
pe sonas, es a museología omen a una mo ilización comuni a ia con aíces p o undas
en e a la c isis climá ica.
Es a idea se desa olla aún más en el a ículo de Ta isi Vunidilo, “Museos y cen os cul-
u ales del Pací ico: ede ini e indigeniza los espacios museales al es ilo del Pací ico”,
donde des aca el papel de los museos en la sa is acción de las necesidades comuni a ias
a a és de mé odos educa i os adicionales polinesios pensados pa a odas las gene a-
ciones. Vunidilo sub aya que en el Pací ico, los modelos más e icaces no son los he edados
del colonialismo occiden al, sino los cen os cul u ales, que sos ienen la esiliencia de cul-
u as i as y en o nos amenazados median e p ác icas colabo a i as. El Cen o Cul u al
de Vanua u, po ejemplo, se concibe como un espacio i o que p omue e p ác icas como
el a e de los dibujos sob e a ena incluso ue a de las islas emo as. Las comunidades indí-
genas no solo se bene ician de es os espacios, sino que ambién ac úan como o mado as.
En “Na a i as y ep esen aciones del pa imonio isleño: na egando po las exposiciones
ainu en Hokkaido”, Nicolle Bi encou y Yi-An Chen ambién abo dan la ep esen ación
de las cul u as indígenas, en es e caso la del pueblo ainu en la isla de Hokkaido, Japón.
A a és del análisis de cua o exposiciones insula es, las au o as explo an o mas de ex-
p esión cul u al y de agencia indígena. Con una lec u a c í ica de la museología desde la
eo ía poscolonial, examinan las di icul ades que en en an las ins i uciones, incluido el
museo nacional y el pa que, pa a abo da los legados del colonialismo in e no, las luchas
ac uales del pueblo ainu y la necesidad de una memo ia nacional más inclusi a. Su ex o
sub aya el papel que juegan los museos en la p oducción de ela os e iden idades naciona-
les, ya sea median e la inclusión o la exclusión.
El a ículo de Yi-An Chen, “Na a i as emancipado as: epensa Taiwán a a és del Museo
Nacional de His o ia de Taiwán”, se en oca en la exposición Taiwán Oceánico, p esen ada
en dicha ins i ución, pa a ab i un deba e más amplio sob e la iden idad nacional en el c uce
en e el Pací ico y China con inen al.
También cen ado en una comunidad ma ginada, el a ículo de Leilani Wong, “Los museos
como acción social: p omo iendo la equidad en comunidades ma ginalizadas”, o ece un
es udio de caso sob e el ecomuseo Te Fa e Na u a (“la casa de la na u aleza”) en Moo ea,
Polinesia F ancesa. El p oyec o ep esen a un camino de empode amien o pa a más de 400
jó enes Ma’ohi que han salido de con ex os de pob eza y exclusión bajo una adminis ación
48
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
49
Pa I:
Colonial Collec ing and he A chi e
—Con es ing His o ies
50
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
51
Collec ing ambigui y: Objec s and he
a e li es o empi e on he island o I eland
B iony Widdis
Queen’s Uni e si y Bel as – No he n I eland
B iony[email p o ec ed]
Emma Reisz
Queen’s Uni e si y Bel as – No he n I eland
[email p o ec ed]
Abs ac
This pape conside s ma e ial cul u e as a p ism h ough which o
unde s and li ed expe iences o colonialism and empi e in No he n
I eland and sugges s ha examining connec ions o meaning ul objec s
bo h inside and ou side museums p o ides a powe ul ool o conside ing
how empi e has been unde s ood and made pe sonal. We conside p i a ely
held possessions, symbols in he landscape and he public ma e iali y o
empi e as ep esen ed in museum collec ions, b inging oge he public
his o y and an h opology o a gue ha he a e li es o colonialism
in No he n I eland e eal no only he place o empi e in shaping he
island o I eland’s di isions bu also unexpec ed sha ed expe iences
and na a i es.Th ee heo e ical pe spec i es can assis in c ea ing new
museological engagemen s wi h con es ed his o ies: objec biog aphy,
au oe hnog aphy and wha we call ‘non-public’ his o y.
Résumé
Collec e l’ambiguï é : Obje s e hé i ages de l’empi e su l’île d’I lande.
Ce a icle considè e la cul u e ma é ielle comme un p isme pe me an de
comp end e les expé iences écues du colonialisme e de l’empi e en I lande
du No d. Il suggè e que l’examen des liens a ec des obje s po eu s de sens,
an à l’in é ieu qu’à l’ex é ieu des musées, cons i ue un ou il puissan
pou é léchi à la maniè e don l’empi e a é é comp is e app op ié de
maniè e pe sonnelle. Nous examinons les possessions p i ées, les symboles
p ésen s dans le paysage e la ma é iali é publique de l’empi e elle qu’elle
es ep ésen ée dans les collec ions muséales, en c oisan his oi e publique e
an h opologie. Nous sou enons que les hé i ages du colonialisme en I lande
du No d é èlen non seulemen le ôle de l’empi e dans la o ma ion des
di isions de l’île d’I lande, mais aussi des expé iences e des éci s pa agés
ina endus. T ois pe spec i es héo iques peu en con ibue à de nou eaux
52
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
engagemen s muséologiques a ec des his oi es con es ées : la biog aphie
des obje s, l’au oe hnog aphie e ce que nous appelons l’his oi e « non
publique ».
_____
F om one pe spec i e, he pho o below ( igu e 1) is a simple ou is snap. Bu i also
hin s a amily en anglemen s wi h empi e and a he pe spec i es and connec ions linking
No he n I eland wi h he wide wo ld. Taken by an uniden i ied membe o one o ou
amilies (Widdis), close o Cai o in abou 1964, he pho o shows people iding on camels
beside a py amid. Depic ing he camel owne s walking whils he p o agonis s ide and
aken om an ele a ed posi ion (pe haps om ano he camel), his e okes ideas abou
whi e sup emacy as well as Wes e n in ol emen in a chaeological pillage and he G and
Tou da ing o he eigh een h cen u y.
Figu e 1. Slide pho o aken by a membe o Widdis’ amily, close o Cai o, c. 1964. © B iony Widdis
In his a icle we p opose ha pe sonal memo abilia such as his p o ides museological
ou es in o explo ing complex and con es ed ideas a ound empi e and decolonisa ion, and
hei meanings in No he n I eland oday. Un il ecen ly, esea ch on he symbolic alue
o No he n I ish iden i ies o ma e ial cul u e om he colonial pas was limi ed (Widdis
e al., 2025 o hcoming). In ou esea ch, we d aw on he “cul u al biog aphy o hings”
and “objec biog aphy” app oach (Joy, 2009; Kopy o , 1986), as well as on au oe hnog a-
phy (Holman Jones, 2005). We also ead popula na a i es and public his o ies o empi e
agains he g ain (Moody & Small, 2009) o conside how objec s associa ed wi h empi e
ha e been made sense o by ins i u ions, communi ies and indi iduals. We a emp o d aw
ou complexi ies and ambigui ies a ound p i a e and public objec s and collec ing in No h-
e n I eland associa ed wi h empi e and o explo e he po en ial o wo king wi h objec s o
mo e beyond simplis ic na a i es o iden i y and impe ial meanings.
53
As Gosden and Ma shall (1999) a gue, objec s “o en ha e he capabili y o accumula ing
his o ies, so ha he p esen signi icance o an objec de i es om he pe son o e en s
o which i is connec ed” (p. 170). This pe spec i e on objec s is bo h conc e e and adi-
cally des abilising. I is conc e e in he sense ha an objec biog aphy pe spec i e di ec s
a en ion o he ma e iali y o an objec and i s unique and angible jou ney h ough he
wo ld. This pe spec i e, howe e , also ejec s he possibili y ha an objec can ha e a
single meaning. Ins ead, i insis s ha by “accumula ing his o ies”, an objec mus be in a
s a e o na a i e and seman ic supe posi ion, a ached o mul iple s o ies and meanings.
This openness o mul iple s o ies enables objec s o e eal bo h sha ed and con as ing
expe iences and na a i es o he ole o empi e in shaping I eland’s di isions. Al hough
No he n I eland is o en unde s ood simply as a di ided socie y, bina y ca ego isa ions
a e inadequa e o unde s anding how he island o I eland’s inc easingly di e se and
complex socie ies pe cei e and ela e o he pas . Remaining pa o he UK in 1922 when
he es o I eland became independen , No he n I eland has an especially complex ela-
ionship wi h B i ish impe ialism. I s his o y can be a iously unde s ood h ough na a-
i es su ounding ac i e pa icipa ion in empi e and o ac i e esis ance o impe ialism, as
well as h ough his o ies o colonialism and mig a ion.
Ra he han a adi ional museum pe spec i e ha migh ea isi o s as passi e audiences,
we adop a public his o y pe spec i e o conside equally how he public pa icipa es
in ep esen ing he pas in No he n I eland – bo h wi hin he public sphe e and also
in con ex s o na a i e esis ance ha Nancy F ase calls “coun e publics” (1990, p.
61). This b oade pe spec i e is, we sugges , essen ial o unde s anding he use o he
pas in No he n I eland. We a e in e es ed also in wha we e m non-public his o y –
he amilial, p i a e, in ima e and emo ional dimensions o how his o y is emembe ed,
unde s ood and expe ienced. This a icle in es iga es how ma e ial objec s can open up
a non-public his o y space ha goes beyond he adi ional discou ses o he public and
coun e public sphe es in No he n I eland o encompass mo e pe sonal pe spec i es and,
ul ima ely, mo e complex and dis up i e pe spec i es.
This wo k d aws on ou p e ious indi idual wo k on colonial isuali ies in ou s udies o
pho og aphs (Widdis, 2018; Reisz, 2024; Widdis, 2024) and ou au oe hnog aphic en-
gagemen wi h hem. In ou ecen wo k, we ha e sough o engage collabo a i ely wi h
o he s o in es iga e how isual ma e ial cul u e igge s memo ies and ep esen a ions o
colonialism. In so doing, we seek o ampli y communi y oices, connec ing expe ise and
knowledge ha exis s ou side he cul u al ins i u ion and he academy. Ha ing e isi ed
ou own connec ions o hese subjec s, we eel ha i is impo an o s ee away om al-
ways w i ing in he hi d pe son, acknowledging ou own subjec i e engagemen as well
as p io i ising he sel -exp ession o o he s who ha e no adi ionally been hea d.
The memo ialisa ion o empi e in No he n I eland
Ou side Bel as Ci y Hall s ands a s a ue o F ede ick Hamil on-Temple-Blackwood
(1826-1902), i s Ma quess o Du e in and A a and p ominen colonial adminis a o .
The s a ue is desc ibed by Annie Tindley as “almos comically o na e” (Tindley, 2021, p.
4). In No he n I eland, encoun e s wi h empi e emain an e e yday expe ience, including
in he o m o memo ials. The s a ue o Du e in is among he mos p ominen o hese
gi en i s size, loca ion and he his o ical p o ile o i s subjec . The s a ue shows Du e in
unde a s one umb ella, wi h S a o India and O de o S Pa ick medals on his ches . A
54
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
his ee , wo igu es exo ically pe soni y places impo an o his ca ee : one is a ision, donned
in a u cap and snowshoes, o Canada whe e he was go e no gene al (1872-88), and he
o he , wea ing a u ban, is o India whe e he was go e no gene al and ice oy (1884-88).
A he I ish sea o he Ma quess o Du e in and A a – Clandeboye Es a e nea Bango ,
Coun y Down – is a u he amily monumen , Helen’s Towe , commissioned by F ede -
ick Hamil on-Temple-Blackwood in ibu e o his mo he , Helen Selina She idan (1807-
1867) (see HB23/06/009, 1975). O iginally cap ioned “Gamekeepe ’s Towe ” in Bu n’s
d awings, Helen’s Towe blends Roman ic s yles wi h he ma e ials o empi e, in Ha old
Nicolson’s wo ds “mingling he li ing sa ou o an I ish bo hy wi h he dead scen o
closed ooms, o Vic o ian ha dwood, o campho and o decaying b ocades” (quo ed in
Howley, 1993, p. 56). In Thiep al, F ance, is a close eplica o Helen’s Towe . This Uls e
Towe , buil on land gi en o he Go e nmen o No he n I eland by he F ench in 1921,
is nea he on lines whe e housands o men o he 36 h Uls e Di ision, many o whom
had ained a Clandeboye in he shadow o Helen’s Towe , los hei li es in a agic
cha ge on 1 July 1916 (Moo e, 2016, p. 110). The Uls e Towe , he e o e, powe ully
e okes memo ies o he Somme, especially in P o es an a eas whe e his is e lec ed in
s ee mu als (see igu e 2). A symbolic line o descen can be aced h ough hese monu-
men s, linking hem as polysemic mo i s, bo h o sac i ices o B i ish impe ialism and in a
wo ld wa , and o iden i y in p esen -day No he n I eland.
I ish epublican mo emen s ha e long-s anding links wi h o he an icolonial s uggles
globally (Sil es i, 2009), and hese oo a e memo ialised in he buil en i onmen o
No he n I eland. In he la e 20 h cen u y, he I ish Republican A my (IRA) de eloped
links wi h mo emen s in places like Zimbabwe and Sou h A ica, and b ough a ms in o
I eland h ough connec ions wi h Libya (English, 2004, pp. 187–222). Those links a e
also e lec ed on he s ee s o Bel as in he o m o mu als ha Neil Ja man (1988)
calls “one o he mos dynamic media o symbolic exp ession in he no h o I eland”
(Ja man, 1998). Especially since he wa in Gaza ha began in 2023, Pales inian eedom
has been a esonan heme o mu al-pain e s; and he Pales inian lag appea s widely in
bo h u ban and u al loca ions. The epublican mo emen has also suppo ed many less
amilia an i-colonial causes, as exempli ied in mu als a Di is S ee on he “peace wall”
ha di ides Ca holic om P o es an a eas (Ex amu al Ac i i y, 2017).
As well as d awing symbolic links be ween he one and he many, public memo ials ha e
he capaci y o each ac oss geog aphical bounda ies and o b oaden iewe s’ ocus om
local o less local conce ns. Fo Dominic B yan, “cul u al ansmission, as pa o g oup
iden i ies, akes place wi hin a e y localized and nego ia ed con ex ... bu also in a much
b oade ield whe eby his o ical na a i es a e cen al o legi imizing poli ical posi ions”
(B yan, 2022, p. 64). Monumen s in he No he n I eland landscape a e unde going a
p ocess o ansi ion, and hei meanings – gi en ha his ansi ion is pos colonial as
well as cul u al – a e subjec o ongoing deba es ha isk dis up ing au ho ised he i age
discou se (Smi h, 2006) abou sha ed adi ions cons uc ed h ough in eg a ionis ap-
p oaches aken du ing he peace p ocess (McG a an e al., 2024).
55
Figu e 2. Mu al showing he Uls e Towe a Thiep al in connec ion wi h he Ba le o he Somme in 1916,
a Donegall Road, Bel as , in Oc obe 2024. Image c edi : B iony Widdis.
56
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
Museum decolonisa ion in No he n I eland and he island o I eland
In he museum sec o in No he n I eland, he e has been a pa icula emphasis on de el-
oping decolonial p ac ice since 2020 (Na ional Museums NI, 2024; Widdis e al., 2025
o hcoming) and he I ish Museums Associa ion has ecen ly o med a decolonisa ion
wo king g oup. Fo he UK Museums Associa ion, “decolonising p ac ice challenges leg-
acies o opp ession and calls o an hones and accu a e eapp aisal o colonial his o y”
(MA, 2021). This is a pa icula ly complex ask in I eland and No he n I eland, whe e
museums ha e in he pas been eluc an o p esen na a i es o he island’s con es ed
his o ies (C ooke, 2008). A p esen , he e is no ag eed de ini ion o wha “decolonisa-
ion” migh mean in a he i age con ex on he island o I eland, and, indeed, he uni e sal
ele ance o he e m i sel is dispu ed (B ulon Soa es & Wi comb, 2022).
The bo de ed sepa a ion be ween No he n I eland and he Republic o I eland, oge he
wi h he high deg ee o c oss- e ilisa ion be ween he cul u es o I eland and hose o
G ea B i ain, make he island a use ul sou ce o case s udies o how “museum decol-
onisa ion” migh be in e p e ed in pos -pa i ion s a es. As alluded o abo e, he e is a
long his o iog aphical adi ion showing ha , a he u n o he 20 h cen u y, I eland’s
pos colonial iden i ies con inued o be moulded by li ed expe iences and inhe i ed mem-
o ies connec ed wi h i s o me oles wi hin he B i ish Empi e and, la e , B i ish Com-
monweal h. A he same ime, I eland’s p esen s ha e been shaped by social and poli ical
con lic s connec ed wi h successi e occupa ions and se lemen s since he 12 h cen u y
(Howe, 2000; Mi chell, 2000; Kenny, 2004; Smy h, 2006; Je e y, 2009; Mille , 2014;
O’Lea y, 2019; McVeigh & Rols on, 2021). The ac ha I eland was no only a colony,
bu was also cen al o ‘making’ he B i ish Empi e, has ecen ly been con i med beyond
all easonable con adic ion by Jane Ohlmeye (2023).
Deeply poli icised deba es su ounding he colonial pas wi hin I eland ensu ed ha , un-
il ecen ly, decolonial ac ions in he museum and he i age sec o s on ei he side o he
bo de we e spo adic and we e d i en by isola ed esponses o hei e hical obliga ions
(ICOM, 2017; Museums Associa ion, 2016) and legal amewo ks (see B adley, 2024)
a he han o ming pa o a cohesi e mo emen . Since 2020, howe e , powe ul ex-
e nal in luences including Black Li es Ma e , he Rhodes Mus Fall campaign and de-
ba es on UK go e nmen museum policies (GOV.UK, 2023; Museums Associa ion, 2021)
ha e accele a ed in e es in he ques ion o wha i means o be a decolonial museum on
he island o I eland. Especially in No he n I eland whe e, al hough a de ol ed ma e ,
s a e-p oduced museum policy is s ongly in luenced by ha o he UK (MA, 2022), his
in e es has led o sec o p o essionals lea ning om p eceden s and guidance p oduced
in G ea B i ain, including he Na ional T us ’s 2020 epo on i s p ope ies’ links wi h
ensla emen (Hux able e al., 2020), he UK Museums Associa ion’s decolonising p in-
ciples (MA, 2021; Widdis, 2021) and epa ia ion guidelines om A s Council England
(ACE, 2023).
Ac oss I eland, he g owing momen um a ound decolonisa ion has also been in luenced
by inc easing public unde s anding o and discou se on he complexi ies o I ish oles
in colonialism, which in u n ha e been in luenced no only by b oade schola ship and
public a en ion on ace ela ions and social jus ice bu also by collabo a ions be ween
s a e, g an -aiding, educa ional and cul u al ins i u ions (Communi y Rela ions Council,
2017; Depa men o Fo eign A ai s, n.d.; Ho ne e al., 2021) as well as uni e si y-d i -
en esea ch such as he T ini y College Dublin Colonial Legacies p ojec (T ini y College
57
Dublin, n.d.). These ha e illumina ed discussions on he ma e ial exp ession o I eland’s
con ibu ions o B i ish impe ialism in he o m o collec ions. The e is inc easing e-
sea ch, oo, on I eland’s complici y in sys ems o colonial exploi a ion and ensla emen
(O’Kane & O’Neill, 2023).
Academic, museum and public his o y con e ences as well as hei published ou pu s
(McB ide & Nic Dháibhéid, 2020; Nic Dháibhéid e al., 2021; Wes Co k His o y Fes-
i al, 2020; Widdis e al., 2025 o hcoming) ha e p o ided space o c i ical e lec ion
on colonialism’s impac s and a e li es. Public awa eness has also been ele a ed by high
p o ile s o ies o ealised and po en ial epa ia ions, such as he e u n o c anial ag-
men s om T ini y o Inishbo in (Hennessy & Numen, 2023; Hussein e al., 2022; TCD,
n.d.), o human emains om Na ional Museums NI o Hawai’i (Me edi h, 2022), o
s olen b onzes om he Na ional Museum o I eland o Benin (Holmes, 2021), and by
he es ablishmen by he Go e nmen o I eland o a Res i u ion and Repa ia ion Ad i-
so y Commi ee (He i age Council, n.d.). A he same ime, museums ha e inc easingly
sough o mains eam Global Majo i y oices and open pa hways o sel - ep esen a ion
by mo e ecen immig an s (Allen, 2023; Mo akinyo, 2021; Na ional Museums NI, 2024;
O’B ien, 2024; S oneman e al., 2021; Whi e Hamil on, 2024; Widdis, 2022; Widdis e
al., 2022; W igh , 2024).
Toge he , hese ac o s a e p o iding c i ical momen um mo ing he museum sec o ac oss
he island o I eland owa d mo e meaning ul con ibu ions o na ional and c oss-bo de
con e sa ions abou he colonial pas and a e building on mo e inclusi e discou se on he
na u e o I ish and No he n I ish iden i ies in he 21s cen u y (see o example Mackin,
2005; Sc oope, 2022; Siung, 2011, 2024; Siung & Sunde land Bowe, 2021).
C ea i e engagemen and co-p oduc ion
Gi en he immedia ely poli ical con ex o his wo k, i is no su p ising ha museum
ac i i ies a e s ill aking place in an en i onmen o cau ion, especially in No he n I e-
land (see o example C owdy, 2021). A he Uls e Museum in Bel as , Global Majo -
i y oices a e p esen p ima ily in he Inclusi e Global His o ies exhibi ion ocusing on
e hnog aphic collec ions and a e less isible in o he exhibi ions despi e hei dynamic
and long-s anding p esence in No he n I eland. Na ional Museums NI has ecen ly ak-
en s eps o add ess his by in oducing “inclusi e global his o ies” label agging in dis-
play cases h oughou he building, explo ing he complexi ies o iden i y simul aneously
wi hin h ee di e en esea ch amewo ks: No he n I eland poli ics now, his o ies o
collec ing and impe ialism in he pas . Na ional Museums NI’s inclusi e global his o ies
app oach, now ex ended o o he museums, ocuses on p o iding c ea i e engagemen
oppo uni ies o communi ies o collabo a i ely explo e he meanings o objec s (e.g.,
Na ional Museums NI, 2024; W igh , 2024).
Co-p oduc ion, unde s ood as c ea ing “museum spaces whe e people can come, in e ac
and ouch as well as con ibu e o and shape exhibi ions and collec ions” (G aham, 2016)
has been a aluable me hodology o museums seeking o in eg a e con ibu o oices
mo e deeply in o hei p ac ice. W i ing on young people’s esponses o an exhibi ion on
acial di e si y, Kaja Hanneda e Son um shows ha co-p oduc ion in ol es nego ia-
ion be ween pa icipan s, and be ween pa icipan s and he ins i u ion, making oom
o compe ing belie s and some imes needing he museum o acknowledge pa icipan s’
esis ance o o ganisa ional objec i es. While museums can p o ide space o con e sa-
64
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
Ohlmeye , J. (2023). Making empi e. Ox o d Uni e si y P ess.
O’Kane, F., & O’Neill, C. (2023). I eland, sla e y and he Ca ibbean. In N. D ape (Ed.), I eland
and B i ish colonial sla e-owne ship, 1763-1833 (pp. 103–124). Manches e Uni e si y
P ess.
O’Lea y, B. (2019). A ea ise on No he n I eland. Volume 1: Colonialism. Ox o d Uni e si y
P ess.
Pi Ri e s Museum. (n.d.). Abou he ‘ ela ional museum’ p ojec and he me hodology o e-
sea ch. h ps://his o y.p m.ox.ac.uk/abou .php.h ml
Reisz, E. (2024). Pho oan h opocene: The decen e ed lens o colonial pho og aphy. Cu a o : The
Museum Jou nal, 67(1), 101–117. h ps://doi.o g/10.1111/cu a.12588
Sc oope, A. (2022). ‘To aig on he oba ’ (T a elling he oad): A model o he decolonised exhi-
bi ion a Co k Public Museum. Museum I eland 2021.
Sil es i, M. (2009). I eland and India: Na ionalism, empi e and memo y. Palg a e Macmillan.
Siung, J. (2011). Renego ia ing I ish iden i y: The Ches e Bea y Lib a y and I eland (unpub-
lished).
Siung, J. (2024). Fai hs in Focus – In e ai h dialogue in I ish museums; Ches e Bea y, a case
s udy. Museum I eland, 30, 111–117.
Siung, J., & Sunde land Bowe, J.-A. (Eds.). (2021). Emb acing cul u al di e si y in he class-
oom: Building an in e cul u al school’s p og amme. Resea ch and de elopmen epo .
Ches e Bea y. h ps://a sineduca ion.ie/en/2021/01/28/ches e -bea y-publishes- e-
po -on-how- o-c ea e-in e cul u al-p og ammes- o -schools/
Smi h, L. (2006). The discou se o he i age. In Uses o he i age (pp. 11–43). Rou ledge.
Smy h, W. J. (2006). Map-making, Landscapes and memo y: A geog aphy o colonial and ea ly
mode n I eland c.1530-1750. Co k Uni e si y P ess.
Son um, K. H. (2019). The co-p oduc ion o di e ence? Explo ing u ban you hs’ nego ia ions
o iden i y in mee ing wi h di icul he i age o human classi ica ion. Museums & Social
Issues.
S oneman, A., Ca allo, J., Daga, E., Magui e, M., & Mulholland, P. (2021). Uncom o able
e ela ions: Can ci izen cu a ion widen access o museums? Museum I eland, 28, 64–71.
TCD. (n.d.). T ini y o e u n human emains o Inishbo in. h ps://www. cd.ie/news_e en s/a i-
cles/2023/ ini y- o- e u n-human- emains- o-inishbo in/
Tindley, A. (2021). Lo d Du e in, I eland and he B i ish Empi e, c. 1820–1900: Rule by he
bes ? Rou ledge.
T ini y College Dublin. (n.d.). T ini y colonial legacies. h ps://his o ies-humani ies. cd.ie/ e-
sea ch/colonial-legacies/
Wall, S. (2008). Easie said han done: W i ing an au oe hnog aphy. In e na ional Jou nal o
Quali a i e Me hods, 7(1), 38–53. h ps://doi.o g/10.1177/160940690800700103
Wes Co k His o y Fes i al. (2020). 2020 digi al es i al. h ps://wes co khis o y es i al.
o g/2020-digi al- es i al/
Whi e Hamil on, T. (2024). Add essing decolonisa ion o A ican collec ions a Na ional Muse-
ums NI. Museum I eland, 30, 124–134.
Widdis, B. (2018). S ock pho os: Family, he mundane and colonial isualiza ion in wen i-
e h-cen u y Hong Kong. The Chinese His o ical Re iew, 25(2), 181–195. h ps://doi.o g/
10.1080/1547402X.2018.1522823
Widdis, B. (2021). Decolonisa ion in No he n I ish museums: How does i eel? Museums Asso-
cia ion. h ps://www.museumsassocia ion.o g/campaigns/decolonising-museums/decolo-
nisa ion-in-no he n-i ish-museums/#
Widdis, B. (2022). Colonialism, empi e, and inclusi e global his o ies a he Uls e Museum. His-
o y I eland, 30(4), 56–57.
Widdis, B. (2024). Ha m ul objec s (belo ed subjec s): Colonial amily a chi es. In T. Sengup a
& S. Hall (Eds.), Reclaiming colonial a chi ec u e. RIBA Publishing.
Widdis, B., Magowan, F., Whi e Hamil on, T., & Logan, K. (2022). Inclusi e global his o ies:
Pe o ming collec ions a he Uls e Museum. 17 h Biennial EASA Con e ence: T an o -
ma ion, Hope and he Commons, Bel as . h ps://easaonline.o g/con e ences/easa2022/
p og amme#11816
Widdis, B., Reisz, E., & B yan, D. (Eds.). (2025, o hcoming). Museums, empi e, colonialism:
Iden i ies, memo y, and legacies in I eland. Rou ledge.
W igh , N. L. (2024). A wo ld o s o ies: A case s udy in museum ep esen a ion and di e si y in
No he n I eland. Museum I eland, 30, 102–110.
65
F om Bo neo o Leices e :
Colonial en anglemen s in he D yad
‘Handic a s’ Collec ion
Ma ia Chia a Scude i
Uni e si y o Leices e – Uni ed Kingdom
mcs38@leices e .ac.uk
Abs ac
This a icle explo es he global ci cula ion and educa ional euse o Bo nean
c a s wi hin he D yad ‘Handic a s’ collec ion in Leices e , assembled by
Ha y Peach in he ea ly 20 h cen u y. I highligh s Peach’s collabo a ion
wi h colonial adminis a o Cha les Hose, whose objec s and pho og aphs
om Sa awak and Bo neo signi ican ly shaped he collec ion. Pho og aphy
se ed as a i al medium o access, documen , and dissemina e Bo nean
ma e ial cul u e, linking colonial collec ing o local B i ish c a educa ion.
Th ough pa e ns, pedagogical uses, and c oss-cul u al exchanges, he
a icle e eals how impe ial ne wo ks, isual cul u e, and local pedagogies
con e ged in he making o a hyb id educa ional collec ion.
Keywo ds: colonial collec ing, c a educa ion, pho og aphy, Bo neo,
ma e ial cul u e
Resumé
Collec e Bo néo : Ci cula ion e pos é i és dans la collec ion ‘Handic a s’
de D yad. Ce a icle examine la ci cula ion mondiale e la éu ilisa ion
éduca i e des obje s a isanaux de Bo néo dans la collec ion D yad
‘Handic a s’ à Leices e , cons i uée pa Ha y Peach au débu du XXe
siècle. Il me en lumiè e la collabo a ion en e Peach e l’adminis a eu
colonial Cha les Hose, don les obje s e pho og aphies de Sa awak
e Bo néo on o emen in luencé la collec ion. La pho og aphie u
un médium essen iel pou accéde à la cul u e ma é ielle de Bo néo, la
documen e e la di use , elian les p a iques de collec e coloniale à
l’enseignemen a isanal b i annique. L’a icle é èle commen éseaux
impé iaux, cul u e isuelle e pédagogies locales on con e gé dans ce e
collec ion hyb ide.
Mo s-clés : collec e coloniale, éduca ion a isanale, pho og aphie, Bo néo,
cul u e ma é ielle
_____
66
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
This a icle examines he ci cula ion his o y o c a s om he island o Bo neo, Sou h-
eas Asia, o he ci y o Leices e , England, along wi h he his o ies o collec ing o o e
an o iginal pe spec i e on how collec ing s a egies we e connec ed o c a -p ac ice ed-
uca ion and pho og aphy in ea ly 20 h cen u y B i ain. Focusing on he connec edness
be ween Ha y Peach (1874-1936), collec o o he D yad ‘Handic a s’ collec ion now a
Leices e Museums and Galle y, and Cha les Hose (1863-1929), colonial adminis a o
in Sa awak, no h-wes Bo neo, be ween 1884 and 1907, his esea ch acks he jou -
ney o objec s and in e p e s hei use o os e c a -p ac ice educa ion in a local con ex .
By o eg ounding ques ions o ci cula ion, I place he mobilisa ion his o y o pho og aphs
and objec s wi hin he b oade amewo k o impe ial collec ing me hods o c a -p ac ice
educa ion. In so doing, he esea ch con ibu es o econs uc ing he subs an ial ne wo k
o ela ionships o Cha les Hose, adding Ha y Peach among his con ac s, and he local-au-
ho i y Leices e Museums and Galle y o he B i ish ins i u ions whe e Hose’s la ge collec-
ion o c a s and na u al his o y om Bo neo is now dispe sed. The D yad ‘Handic a s’
collec ion, assembled by Peach be ween 1918 and 1936, is global in scope and ema kably
di e se in i s c a smanship, encompassing baske y, ex iles, woodwo k, lea he wo k and
beadwo k. Objec s came om B i ish, F ench and Belgian colonies in A ica, Sou h-Eas
Asia, he Paci ic and Indian Ocean islands and om non-impe ial con ex s in cen al and
eas e n Eu ope and he Ame icas. Despi e i s wo ldwide aspec , he collec ion was ga he ed
by a pe son who was based in Leices e bu whose ne wo k o a icula ed global and im-
pe ial connec ions was signi ican . Th ough objec - and a chi al-based me hodologies, his
a icle illumina es he ways in which he D yad ‘Handic a s’ collec ion e eals linkages o
he colonial con ex o Bo neo.
The o mula ion o he D yad ‘Handic a s’ collec ion
The D yad ‘Handic a s’ collec ion was assembled wi h he dual scope o os e ing c a -p ac-
ice educa ion while acili a ing he lou ishmen o a local business o selling c a ma e-
ials. In 1918, Peach inaugu a ed he ‘Handic a s’ wing o he D yad show oom in 42 S
Nicholas S ee , Leices e , nex o he exis ing Fu ni u e sec ion, o sell cheap c a ma e ial
o schools. P e ious esea ch on Peach has p o ided aluable insigh s in o he ideological,
social and cul u al con ex s in which he collec ion was o med. As schola ship s ands,
Pa Ki kham has examined Peach’s ole and ne wo ks in he o ma ion o he Design and
Indus ies Associa ion (DIA) in 1915 (Ki kham, 1986). Th ough a biog aphical app oach,
Ki kham unco e ed he in ellec ual connec ions be ween Peach, William Richa d Le haby –
a key ad oca e o e i alising William Mo is’s A s and C a s mo emen – and Benjamin
Fle che – he headmas e o Leices e School o A s and, la e , Bi mingham Cen al School
o A s and C a s. Mos ecen ly, Amy Palme (2021) has included Peach as one o he
pionee s o c a -p ac ice educa ion and has no ed a ension be ween Peach’s willingness o
encou age a s and c a s in he school cu iculum and he mone a y e u n o him as a en-
do o c a ma e ials. The au ho conside ed he inpu o he D yad ‘Handic a s’ business
in pu suing he ambi ious goal o school e o m by supplying c a ma e ials. Wi h a ocus
on c a s as elemen s o child-cen ed educa ion, Palme (2021) emphasised he ole o D y-
ad ‘Handic a s’ in shaping he app oach owa ds c a -p ac ice o he Boa d o Educa ion
h ough he p o ision o ma e ials o schools, which we e limi ed un il 1914. In addi ion
o his, he success o he D yad i m would os e he g ow h o o he c a businesses in
he coun y, inc easing om ou in 1918 o 22 in 1930 (Palme , 2021). Howe e , such
academic wo k has no accessed he D yad ‘Handic a s’ collec ion a Leices e Museums
and Galle y’s s o age, and his has limi ed he abili y o ully con ex ualise he company’s
comme cial and educa ional con ibu ions wi hin a b oade amewo k ha includes he
67
global ci cula ion o objec s and he ole played by he D yad ‘Handic a s’ collec ion in his
ambi ious educa ional p ojec .
In connec ion wi h he opening o D yad ‘Handic a s’, Peach began collec ing c a s om
a ound he wo ld, aiming o p esen he objec s on display in he show oom h ough em-
po a y exhibi ions and p o ide samples o good design o he local communi y o s uden s
om he School o A s, eache s and c a ama eu s. Conside ing he objec s on display as
inspi a ional sou ces o hei deco a i e pa e ns and a is ic echniques, isi o s o D y-
ad ‘Handic a s’ would pu chase he ma e ials o ep oduce simila objec s and de elop
c ea i i y. In ended as a place o p ide o he local con ex , in 1928 he D yad show oom
was de ined as a “museum”, comp ising “examples o na i e wo k om all o e he wo ld,
including some o he mos emo e and li le known peoples, and his collec ion is o en
consul ed and examined by eache s and s uden s o hese c a s, who ind in i a ui ul
sou ce o ideas and inspi a ion” (Leices e Daily Me cu y, 21 Janua y 1928). Teache s we e
encou aged o unde ake objec -lessons on he educa ional model o con empo a y muse-
ums, p ima ily he Sou h Kensing on Museum, and he objec s on display we e in ended o
inspi e he c ea ion o c a s in B i ain. In his con ex , D yad ‘Handic a s’ was dedica ed o
he mission o ac i a ing human c ea i i y among B i ish people who adop ed and adap ed
design elemen s in o p oduc s o be made in B i ain. Such use o he collec ion posi ions
he D yad ‘Handic a s’ objec s as p omo e s o a p ocess o hyb idisa ion os e ed by he
encoun e o a dominan cul u e and non-Wes e n Eu opean cul u es. In so doing, he col-
lec ion and ela ed use aimed a ques ioning a sha p di ision be ween he no ions o “In-
digenous” and “ adi ional” in design. Ins ead, i showed how he objec s we e u ilised o
challenge he dominan Wes e n Eu opean-based c a educa ion and o e-posi ion design
educa ion in ea ly 20 h cen u y B i ain. Wi hin he dynamic amewo k o hyb idi y heo y,
he D yad objec s on display acili a ed c oss-cul u al in e ac ions and shaped a complex
p ocess o in e wining and ein e p e a ion o design, whe e he objec s p oduced in-be-
ween spaces ep esen ed he esul o he encoun e (Bhabha, 1994). The coexis ence o
business and educa ional in en ions ans o med he D yad ‘Handic a s’ show oom in o a
hyb id space i sel , de o ed o he economic lou ishing o a p i a e ins i u ion linked o he
p omo ion o knowledge in c a -p ac ice educa ion.
Peach’s eclec ic and abundan app oach o collec ing mus be unde s ood as a esponse o
an ama eu o he ea ha mechanisa ion would lead o he ex inc ion o manual c a -
wo k. Peach sough o p ese e c a adi ion by b inging ma e ial samples o Leices e ,
hus sa egua ding he legacy o wo ld c a and hei a is ic echniques while sugges ing
inspi a ional mo i s o ep oduce in B i ish design. F om Peach’s pe spec i e, he mo i-
a ion o assemble he D yad ‘Handic a s’ collec ion can be in e p e ed as an e o o
e i e he A s and C a s mo emen du ing he in e wa pe iod, a ime when i s in luence
was in decline. Wi hin such con igu a ion, his esea ch acks he mo emen o he ob-
jec s om Bo neo o Leices e o an educa ional a ionale.
Cha les Hose’s sca e ed collec ion om Bo neo
In 1925, Peach de eloped a connec ion wi h an es ablished collec o in colonial B i ain,
Cha les Hose. Pho og aphs played a pi o al ole in delinea ing he collec o s’ ela ion-
ship, and by acili a ing he exchange o objec s, hey signi ican ly in luenced he o ma-
ion o he D yad ‘Handic a s’ collec ion. No ably, ce ain i ems om Hose ound hei
way in o he D yad collec ion h ough a pho og aphic ini ia i e whe ein D yad p oduced
images o a publica ion w i en by Hose and i led Na u al Man: A Reco d om Bo neo
68
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
(1926), and Peach selec ed speci ic objec s o be collec ed by consul ing he wo illus a -
ed olumes o The Pagan T ibes o Bo neo (1912), s ill au ho ed by Hose. In The Pagan
T ibes o Bo neo, in ac , pho og aphs o se e al i ems guided Peach’s choices o collec -
ing h ough isual e e ences. Pho og aphs shaped he ela ionship be ween Peach and
Hose as collec o s and de e mined he subsequen inco po a ion o objec s in o he D yad
‘Handic a s’ collec ion.
Cha les Hose was a colonial o icial and e hnologis esiden in Sa awak be ween 1884 and
1907 unde he second Rajah Si Cha les B ooke.1 Despi e depa ing om his s udies a
Camb idge o assume he ole o colonial adminis a o , his connec ion wi h he uni e si y
deepened as a po ion o his Sa awak collec ion ound i s way in o he Camb idge’s Muse-
um o A chaeology and An h opology. Subsequen ly, a ious objec s om Hose’s ex ensi e
collec ion we e sp ead o museums wo ldwide, dispe sing Sa awak’s he i age and p omp -
ing he need o esh academic s udies o piece oge he i s na a i e. Wi h an objec - o-
cussed app oach, Vale ie Mashman (2021) has examined he jou ney o a Kenyah shield
om Sa awak o he E hnological Museum Anima Mundi in he Va ican Ci y, emphasising
he condi ions p omp ing i s p esen a ion alongside an analysis o how he ac o p esen a-
ion can be in e p e ed as an e o owa ds peace-making. Also, Mashman’s (2020) analysis
o o e seas Sa awak collec ions sheds ligh on Hose’s engagemen wi h local communi ies.
I challenges he p e ailing na a i e ha a ibu es he cen al ole in he es ablishmen o
he Sa awak s a e o colonial adminis a o Hose, highligh ing ins ead he c ucial ole o
local chie s, and pa icula ly Tama Bulan, whose cul u al con ibu ions no only p e en ed
con lic s bu also o ged alliances. Ma hew Schaue analysed he collec ing expedi ion in
Sa awak conduc ed by he Uni e si y o Camb idge’s an h opologis Al ed Co Haddon
wi h he suppo o Hose be ween 1898 and 1909, unde lining he impe ial powe imbal-
ance wi hin he collec ing p ac ices o he eme ging Sa awak Museum. The pa adigm o
degene a ing sa age y was a he co e o a colonial p ojec ha jus i ied he esea ch ips
and bols e ed he museum’s ins i u ional p es ige (Schaue , 2023). No ably, in he heyday o
he eme ging science o an h opology, museum ins i u ions we e ac i ely con ibu ing o he
e ol ing unde s anding o he new science by engaging in collec ing e o s.
The Uni e si y o Camb idge’s Museum o A chaeology and An h opology, o ins ance,
owes much o i s ounda ion o he wo k o ield collec o s such as Ch is ian missiona ies
and go e nmen an h opologis s who we e impe ial agen s conduc ing an h opological e-
sea ch h ough he analysis and acquisi ion o ma e ial cul u es and by aking pho og aphs.
These agen s ollowed he guidelines o No es and Que ies on An h opology o hei col-
lec ing s a egies. The e o s o such media o s embedded in colonial endea ou s shaped
global collec ions, and hese indi iduals played a pi o al ole in assembling and de ining he
Museum’s ex ensi e holdings (He le & Ca eau, 2013). Al hough Peach’s collec ing ac i i-
ies we e oo ed in a b oadly educa ional and comme cial con ex a he han an ins i u ion-
al museum amewo k, i is signi ican o ecognise hese ac i i ies as pa o a ne wo k o
ela ionships akin o hose unde pinning na ionally ins i u ionalised p ojec s. Impo an ly,
a p i a e and la gely immobile indi idual like Peach collabo a ed wi h he same ype o ield
collec o s in ol ed in ga he ing objec s o museum ins i u ions ocused on an h opology
o expand hei collec ions in he ea ly 20 h cen u y, as he linkage wi h Hose demons a es.
No a ield collec o himsel , Peach adap ed his collec ing s a egies and p ac ices o wha
1 Sa awak is an his o ic egion si ua ed in no hwes Bo neo, which is now pa o Malaysia. I was
ounded as an independen s a e in 1841 wi h he English o me mili a y o ice o he Eas India company
James B ooke as Rajah o Sa awak. Sa awak was ecognised as an independen s a e by he Uni ed S a es
(1850), and la e by G ea B i ain (1864).
69
was al eady in ci cula ion wi hin he coun y, and he can be conside ed wi hin a g oup o
people who seldom a elled beyond Eu ope and buil hei collec ions p ima ily h ough
Eu opean ading in e hnog aphy, in en i onmen s ich wi h “a as pool o non-Eu opean
exo ic a i ac s” a ailable a easonable p ices (King, 2009, p. 8).
In he B i ish con ex , hough some objec s wen o Camb idge’s Museum o A chaeology
and An h opology, in 1905 he B i ish Museum pu chased mos o he Hose collec ion,
which is excep ionally di e se. Al hough ocussed on c a s, i encompassed a wide a ay
o i ems, anging om pa e ned baske s, clo hes wi h deco a i e mo i s, body o namen s,
wooden igu es, a ooing needles and s amps and cha ms. Such a id collec ing p omp s
specula ion abou Hose’s collec ing s a egies, s eeped in a p o ound in e es in local an-
h opology. Addi ionally, emnan s o Hose’s o iginal collec ion can be disco e ed a he
Ho niman Museum, he Uni e si y o Ox o d’s Pi Ri e s Museum and he Wo ld Muse-
um Li e pool, which acqui ed a signi ican po ion om No wich Cas le Museum in he
1950s. Among hese mo emen s, Leices e Museums and Galle y ecei ed a small po ion
o Hose’s objec s h ough he D yad ‘Handic a s’ collec ion, he de ails o which his a icle
endea ou s o elucida e o he i s ime. Despi e he ex ensi e dispe sal o his e hnog aphy
and na u al his o y collec ions, i is plausible ha mo e Hose’s objec s eside in o he mu-
seums ac oss he Uni ed Kingdom, and u he esea ch is equi ed o ack hese mobilisa-
ions in ma e ial cul u al his o y. Thus, he Leices e collec ion se es as a modes ye i al
componen in econs uc ing a mo e comp ehensi e na a i e on he connec ion be ween
B i ain and Bo neo h ough Hose’s ne wo k.
Connec ing, collec ing and educa ing h ough pho og aphs o Bo neo
Hose no only collec ed e hnog aphic and na u al his o y a e ac s du ing his manda e in
Sa awak, he also engaged in a p oli ic pho og aphic endea ou and au ho ed nume ous
books. Howe e , he le a mo e ex ensi e eco d o himsel han wha has been published
abou him as a collec o o da e, wi h he excep ion o Jenni e Mo is’s wo k on he B ooke
s a e (Mo is, 2019).
I is concei able ha Hose and Peach i s encoun e ed each o he in he p epa a ion o he
Sa awak Pa ilion du ing he 1924 Wembley Empi e Exhibi ion.2 On his occasion, Peach
acqui ed a dis inc i e pai o la ge blanke s ado ned wi h local mo i s om Sa awak, and
Hose helped p epa e he pa ilion o he e en (Du ans, 1926). The in ica e pa e ns,
e med ‘dog mo i s’, ado ning he en i e y o he ab ic esona e wi h a ecu ing heme in
he D yad ‘Handic a s’ collec ion, pa icula ly e iden in he Sa awak a e ac s, as we will
see. A e hei encoun e a Wembley, Peach and Hose emba ked on a co espondence ha
ul ima ely led o he exchange o cul u al a e ac s om Sa awak and Bo neo, which by
1926 had become in eg al o he D yad ‘Handic a s’ collec ion. An in iguing de elopmen
was Hose’s keen in e es in pa ne ing wi h Peach o u ilise his collec ion o educa ional
pu poses, le e aging pho og aphy o acili a e i s dissemina ion. Hose’s ex ensi e expe i-
men a ion wi h e hnog aphic pho og aphy du ing his Bo neo a els, no ably showcased in
his 1912 publica ion The Pagan T ibes o Bo neo, se ed as a ounda ion. In his book, he
pho og aphs aimed o i idly po ay Sa awakian and Bo nean li e and cul u e, ea u ing
cap i a ing po ai s o local people in ol ed in making a ious c a s, scenes o hun ing
and me iculously ende ed depic ions o a chi ec u es and na u al landscapes.3
2 On he 1924 B i ish Empi e exhibi ion see also Knigh , D. R. & Sabey, A. D. (1984). The lion oa s
a Wembley: B i ish Empi e exhibi ion, 60 h anni e sa y, 1924-1925. Ba na d & Wes wood.
3 Fo pho og aphs aken by Cha les Hose see also Camb idge Uni e si y Lib a y Special Collec ions,
GBR/0115/RCS/Y3035A: Cha les Hose ad Shel o d Robe Wal e Campbell, 1884-03 – 1900, desc ip i e
70
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
Peach men ioned his book in con e sa ion wi h Benjamin Fle che , headmas e o he
Ci y o Bi mingham Cen al School o A s and C a s, ecommending i as an excellen
esou ce o gaining insigh s in o Sa awak and Bo nean people and “ o ead all abou
hem and hei c a s” (DWL Peach-Fle che , 18 Ap il 1925). Peach and Fle che sha ed
in e es s in c a -p ac ice educa ion, and objec s om he D yad ‘Handic a s’ collec ion
we e sen o ci cula e eely ou side o he show oom o en e schools. The Ci y o Bi -
mingham Cen al School o A s and C a s ha e had a p i ileged posi ion o he mobili-
y o he collec ion, as objec s in wood and lea he as well as mo e agile deco a ed Eas e
eggs in he ba ik echnique we e o en loaned o Fle che .4 In he le e ega ding Bo nean
c a s, Peach sha ed in iguing aspec s o he collec ion and discussed he po en ial collab-
o a ion wi h Hose, highligh ing hei mu ual in e es in p omo ing c a educa ion:
when a Pu ley his week bo owed om Doc o Hose a case ul o Sa awak wo k,
baske wo k, wea ing, ca ed wo k, e c. I am going o pho og aph hem. I da e
say he would lend hem o you school o a mon h o so i you wish. He is e y
anxious ha his hings should be made o use. (DWL, Peach-Fle che , 18 Ap il
1925)
Peach sugges ed Hose’s willingness o pa icipa e as a dono in a c a educa ion endea -
ou , which Peach and Fle che had ini ia ed wi h he schools o a in Leices e and Bi -
mingham wi h he mobilisa ion o global c a s o enhance local educa ion, and objec s
om Bo neo loaned by Hose would be on display a Leices e ’s School o A s in 1925
(DWL, 1925). In Ap il 1925, in ac , Peach isi ed Hose a his esidence in Pu ley o ex-
amine he collec ion and alk abou he possibili y o anspo ing ce ain i ems o Leices-
e o be pho og aphed. Peach was en husias ic abou he collec ion, desc ibing himsel
as con iden ha he objec s would be “well app ecia ed down in his pa o he Wo ld”,
and demons a ing his eadiness o inco po a e Leices e in o he b oade e hnog aphic
ini ia i e in ended o ex end cul u al knowledge ac oss B i ain h ough he dispe sal o
he Sa awak collec ion o mul iple museums (DWL, Peach-Hose, 17 Ap il 1925). I is
plausible o assume ha hese pho og aphs we e used o illus a e he book Na u al Man:
A Reco d om Bo neo, published in 1926.5 In ac , his book is ado ned wi h i id pho-
og aphs depic ing scenes o li e in Bo neo alongside illus a ions highligh ing a ious
cul u al a e ac s in a s a ic posi ion.
In an icipa ion o he 1926 publica ion, Hose sugges ed a p elimina y ske ch en isioning
a pho og aphic ep esen a ion o Bo neo’s deco a i e a s, in i ing Peach o e ine he
composi ion wi h his expe ise (see Figu e 1). The ske ch demons a es an eage ness o
showcase a di e se a ay o objec s in a s a ic composi ion, anging om masks o bas-
ke s, wo- one shields, ha s and a jacke .
The app oach o using ske ches o communica e ideas esona es wi h con empo a y p ac-
ices o colonial o icials, missiona ies and ade s who we e encou aged o u ilise illus a-
ions o explo e and con ey he eali ies o di e se cul u es, a emp ing o de ine me hod-
album o he coun y and people o Sa awak
4 Fo ins ance, as a as he deco a ed eggs, which came om he Ta a Moun ain dis ic in Czechoslo akia,
Peach b ie ly p esen ed an idea o conse a ion o hese pa icula ly agile i ems: “I had hough o ha ing one
o wo pu in li le glass boxes, as un o una ely people b eak hem handling hem. Ha e had some smashed
al eady; hey pick hem up as hough hey we e b icks” (DWL Peach-Fle che , 17 Ap il 1926).
5 The i s indica ion o a po en ial collabo a ion appea s in DWL, PR1/COR/Hose: co espondence
Peach-Hose, 5 Janua y 1925. He e, Hose in i ed Peach o Pu ley o discuss “ he ma e o designs illus a i e
o na i e a s be e ”.
71
ologies o he eme ging science o an h opology om he end o he 19 h cen u y (U y,
1972). Ca he ine Nichols (2021) has unde sco ed how d awings as illus a i e media ha e
long been used o con ey scien i ic knowledge. Nichols a gued ha he medium o ske ches
was p e e ed by Hen y Bal ou , cu a o o he Uni e si y o Ox o d’s Pi Ri e s Museum,
o illus a e objec s desc ibed in he le e s because o hei sense o immediacy and o unde -
line wha was ele an in he objec s, such as ce amics wi h a special shape o a deco a ion.
Haidy Geisma has de ined “al e na i e his o ies o ideas” as he me hodology ha ocuses
Figu e 1. D awing made by Cha les Hose o illus a e he composi ion o a pho og aphy eques ed o
D yad. © A chi es and Special Collec ions o Da id Wilson Lib a y (DWL), Uni e si y o Leices e , PR1/
COR/Hose: co espondence Peach-Hose, 8 May 1925.
72
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
on analysing ske ches o he wise conside ed unpolished aw ma e ial o an h opology and
his o ical esea ch (2014, p. 103). The me hodology o using d awings as an e hnog aphic
p ac ice is s ill in use, and Jasamin Kashanipou has coined he e m ‘g adual gaze’ o de-
ine he way o hink a en i ely in ol ing he medium o d awing o pu sue no a s-based
esea ch bu a he an an h opological discou se. Kashanipou sugges ed ha he ac o
d awing os e s a p ocess o “slowing down he gaze”, whe e d awing is he p ocess i sel o
es ablish connec edness be ween he ieldwo ke , he objec o s udy and he en i onmen .
P omo ing a p ocess o lea ning while unlea ning, d awing becomes “a means o dis up ing
con en ional ways o knowing he wo ld” (Kashanipou , 2021, p. 83).
In he case o he Hose’s d awing, his was used o en isage a p ecise idea o a pho o-
g aph. In ac , he d awing’s me iculously symme ical composi ion, designed o p esen
he objec s om an ae ial pe spec i e, is ai h ully ep oduced as a pho og aph in Na u al
Man. A Reco d om Bo neo, exac ly as Hose had en isioned (see Figu e 2). The inal
illus a ion highligh s an in e es in deco a i e mo i s, no ably showcased in he Kenyah
shields lanking he sides, he in ica ely ca ed wooden objec s and he geome ic-pa -
e ned conical ha s posi ioned a he op.
While he c edi o he image emains absen in he book, he ema kable ma ch be ween
he idea embedded in he ske ch and he inal esul o he pho og aph s ongly sugges s
D yad as he likely sou ce o he inal pho og aph’s a ibu ion. This acc edi a ion is
con i med by Hose, who p aised he pho og aph as “excellen ” and eques ed ha Peach
comple e he wo k o “ano he pho og aph o o he a icles which I should e y much
like o ha e in my book also” (DWL, Peach-Hose, 18 May 1925. Among hese pho-
og aphs, one inds depic ions o u ensils like spoons and ice dishes, de ailed pa e ns
ado ning clo hs and a ious women’s ha s. Hose e en en isioned a mo e inno a i e ed-
uca ional applica ion o hese images, sugges ing hei adap a ion in o lan e n slides o
use in “a pape o be ead in Leices e ” (DWL, Peach-Hose, 8 May 1925).
Suppo ing he hypo hesis o he exchange o a e ac s wi hin his pho og aphic con ex ,
he baske labelled as numbe 11 in he lowe igh -hand co ne o he pho og aph and
iden i ied as “a Klemen an shallow baske used as a s aine ”, bea s a s iking esem-
blance in design o an objec ound in he D yad ‘Handic a s’ collec ion. Simila ly, he
in ica ely pa e ned ca ed wooden shu le depic ed as numbe 9 nex o a swo d in he
pho og aph seems also p esen in he D yad ‘Handic a s’ collec ion, ep esen ing an ex-
ample o a wea ing appa a us wi h ca ed deco a i e designs, an elemen o signi ican
in e es o Peach’s collec ing s a egies.
In his analysis o he Hose’s publica ion Na u al Man: A Reco d om Bo neo, B ian
Du ans sugges ed ha he au ho aimed o engage no only an h opological expe s bu
also a wide audience gene ally ascina ed by “ ibal cul u es and hei implica ions o in-
e p e ing he human condi ion” (Du ans, 1926, p. XII). The polyhed ic na u e o Peach,
ama eu collec o aiming a de eloping ins i u ional connec ions, e lec ed he b oade
audience in e es ed in Hose’s publica ion. The exchange o cul u al a e ac s and sha ed
en husiasm o pho og aphy con ibu ed signi ican ly o he acquisi ion o knowledge
abou Sa awak and Bo neo in Leices e and he ex ension o D yad’s ‘Handic a s’ col-
lec ion. In he ex ensi e s udies on he an h opology o pho og aphy, Elizabe h Edwa ds
in es iga ed he wo k o pho og aphs as objec s, wi h a ocus on he po en ial o hei ma-
e iali y, and s essed he ole o pho og aphs as “ac i e cons i uen s o social ne wo ks”
(2012, p. 230). When i comes o Peach and Hose’s ci cle, while acili a ing knowledge,
73
Figu e 2. Pho og aphy o a composi ion aken by D yad o Bo nean a icles. © C. Hose, 1926. Na u al Man:
A Reco d om Bo neo. Ox o d Uni e si y P ess.
80
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
Depuis 1979, un in en ai e du pa imoine kanak dispe sé (IPKD) es en ep is dans le
bu de ecense les obje s kanak, o iginai es de Nou elle-Calédonie, conse és dans des
musées à a e s le monde. Aujou d’hui, l’IPKD es une base de données, p og essi emen
accessible en ligne, qui éuni plus de 5457 iches d’obje s dispe sés dans 115 musées1.
Ce e base de données a aussi pou bu de éuni des essou ces e de la documen a ion
su les collec ions kanak.
Ce a icle p opose d’examine l’IPKD e sa base de données comme cas d’é ude de muséol-
ogie insulai e ansna ionale. Sa édac ion a qua e mains, en e la Nou elle-Calédonie e
la F ance hexagonale, illus e ce e app oche collabo a i e. Ma ianne Tissandie a pa -
icipé à l’en ep ise d’in en ai e e assu e la ges ion de la base de données IPKD ; Ma ion
Be in e ec ue des eche ches su l’his oi e de ce in en ai e (Be in, 2020 ; Be in, 2024).
Depuis plusieu s années, nous collabo ons à ce suje (Be in e Tissandie , 2019 ; Be in
e Tissandie , 2024). No e p opos s’appuie donc à la ois su une pa icipa ion ac i e au
p ocessus de l’IPKD e su la consul a ion de collec ions e d’a chi es conse ées en Nou-
elle-Calédonie, en F ance hexagonale, en Suisse e au Royaume-Uni. Nos deux poin s de
ue pa icipen à une é lexion muséologique su la po ée his o ique e con empo aine de
ce in en ai e, ainsi que les dé is qui en ou en sa c éa ion e sa ges ion.
À a e s l’exemple de l’IPKD, nous souhai ons abo de la ques ion des espaces enche ê és
en é udian de quelle maniè e ce in en ai e éuni di é en s espaces à des échelles mul i-
ples : d’une pa , à l’échelle in e na ionale e , d’au e pa , en Nou elle-Calédonie. Ainsi,
nous dé aille ons le p ocessus in e na ional de cons i u ion de ce in en ai e e de la doc-
umen a ion qui l’accompagne. D’abo d, nous e iend ons su quelques g andes é apes
du p oje d’in en ai e depuis 1979. Puis, nous p ésen e ons ce qu’es conc è emen l’IP-
KD aujou d’hui e de quelle maniè e ce in en ai e connec e e enche ê e des espaces à
l’échelle mondiale. En in, nous analyse ons ces enche ê emen s à une échelle locale, en
abo dan ceux p op es au e i oi e de la Nou elle-Calédonie a in de mieux comp end e
les ela ions nouées en e les communau és kanak e ce in en ai e. Finalemen , ce cas
d’é ude pe me a d’éclai e les enjeux e les dé is en ou an les p oje s d’in en ai es de
collec ions dispe sées, dans une pe spec i e de muséologie ansna ionale plus globale.
Un p ocessus au long cou s pou un in en ai e in e na ional
La Nou elle-Calédonie es un a chipel si ué dans l’océan Paci ique Sud, habi é pa des
popula ions aus onésiennes, le peuple kanak. À pa i de la in du XVIIIᵉ siècle, com-
me çan s e na iga eu s enus d’Eu ope, d’Amé ique e d’Asie a e sen éguliè emen
l’a chipel, en an en con ac a ec le peuple kanak e acqué an leu s p oduc ions ma-
é ielles, d’abo d sans g ande documen a ion associée, leu s séjou s é an géné alemen
b e s. Le 23 sep emb e 1853, la F ance p end possession de la Nou elle-Calédonie dans
un con ex e de i ali é a ec le Royaume-Uni ; l’a chipel de ien à la ois une colonie lib e
e une colonie pénale, à comp e de 1864 (Me le, 2020). En e 1887 e 1946, le Code de
l’indigéna es en applica ion dans l’a chipel e ség égue les popula ions kanak. Des spo-
lia ions massi es de e es kanak ad iennen égalemen à ce e époque. L’adminis a ion
coloniale in e di ce aines p a iques cul u elles kanak, don le po d’a mes (les mas-
sues e casse- ê e), e dé alo ise de maniè e géné ale les cul u es au och ones. L’his oi e
1 En comp an les lo s, cela co espond à plus de 5950 pièces. Ce dénomb emen n’inclu ni les
collec ions du musée du quai B anly-Jacques Chi ac à Pa is (F ance), qui comp en 3204 obje s e œu es
iconog aphiques, ni la collec ion du musée de Nou elle-Calédonie à Nouméa qui se po e quan à elle à 2253
obje s auxquels on peu ajou e des œu es iconog aphiques.
81
des collec es e des collec ions kanak es à me e en lien a ec la cons i u ion massi e
de collec ions di es e hnog aphiques e de l’ou e u e de musées dédiés, en Eu ope en
pa iculie . Comme le souligne Roge Boulay (1990), plusieu s ma chands pa iculiè e-
men ac i s en e 1875 e 1905 on la gemen con ibué à l’en ichissemen des collec ions
des musées eu opéens, pa mi lesquelles le Wel museum de Vienne (Au iche), l’E hno-
logische Museum de Be lin (Allemagne), le musée d’e hnog aphie du T ocadé o à Pa is
(don les collec ions son aujou d’hui conse ées au musée du quai B anly-Jacques Chi ac
[MQB-JC]) ou le muséum d’his oi e na u elle de Toulouse. Pa allèlemen , des expédi ions
scien i iques au débu du XXe siècle on donné lieu à d’impo an es collec es. L’une des
plus no ables es celle des na u alis es suisses Jean Roux (1876-1939) e F i z Sa asin
(1859-1942), qui assemblè en plusieu s millie s d’obje s o man le cœu de la collec ion
kanak du Museum de Kul u en de Bâle (Suisse), la deuxième collec ion d’obje s kanak
conse ée ho s de Nou elle-Calédonie, ap ès celle du MQB-JC. Pa allèlemen , une col-
lec ion muséale es cons i uée en Nou elle-Calédonie : le musée colonial, de enu le musée
de Nou elle-Calédonie, ou e ses po es en 1905. Il conse e l’une des plus impo an es
collec ions d’obje s kanak au monde, don de nomb euses sculp u es a chi ec u ales qui
p enaien place su les g andes cases kanak.
L’ini ia i e d’un in en ai e du pa imoine kanak dispe sé naî dans les années 1970, en
lien a ec le mou emen d’a i ma ion cul u elle kanak en Nou elle-Calédonie, ap ès des
siècles de dé alo isa ion e d’in e dic ion pa le pou oi colonial ançais en place. Le
es i al Mélanésia 2000, o ganisé à p oximi é de Nouméa en 1975, en es une é ape on-
da ice (G aille, 2016). Ce es i al es l’occasion de d esse un é a des lieux des di é en es
p a iques cul u elles des communau és kanak du e i oi e e de les éa i me . Comme le
déc i Jean-Ma ie Tjibaou (1936-1989), qui di ige le comi é d’o ien a ion du es i al :
L’idée p emiè e é ai de ai e un in en ai e de ce qui exis ai , à a e s ce in en-
ai e, de p end e conscience du pa imoine cul u el du peuple mélanésien e ainsi
d’essaye de edonne con iance aux gens, pa appo à la si ua ion d’aliéna ion
liée à la colonisa ion. (Tjibaou, 1996, p. 35)
Dans la dynamique du es i al, débu e un a ail d’in en ai e des sa oi s kanak su le e -
i oi e calédonien. La li é a u e o ale e les echniques de ab ica ion d’obje s (sculp u e
su bois e anne ies no ammen ) son pa iculiè emen conce nées. C’es dans ce con ex e
que Jean-Ma ie Tjibaou cha ge Roge Boulay (1943-2024) de la mission d’e ec ue un in-
en ai e des obje s kanak conse és dans des musées en F ance hexagonale e en Eu ope,
en ue de cons i ue une documen a ion iconog aphique à l’usage des sculp eu · ice·s e
des a isan·e·s kanak2. Ce e mission débu e en 1979, alo s que Roge Boulay es anima-
eu e o ma eu dans des associa ions d’éduca ion populai e, a an de de eni cha gé
de mission au musée na ional des A s d’A ique e d’Océanie à Pa is (F ance) quelques
années plus a d. Pou e ec ue ce a ail, Roge Boulay se end di ec emen dans les
musées qui conse en des collec ions kanak pou oi , manipule , pho og aphie e in-
en o ie les obje s. Seul à accompli ces missions, il béné icie de l’aide des esponsables
de collec ions kanak dans les musées isi és. Les missions d’in en ai e se concen en alo s
su la F ance hexagonale ainsi que l’Eu ope occiden ale, pou des aisons logis iques. Pa -
mi les p emiè es collec ions in en o iées igu en le musée municipal d’Angoulême e le
musée La aille de La Rochelle3 (F ance), le Museum ü Volke kunde de Bâle4 e le musée
2 Ce don émoignen les a chi es données pa Roge Boulay au MQB-JC (58AP/1).
3 Aujou d’hui le muséum d’his oi e na u elle de La Rochelle.
4 Aujou d’hui le Museum de Kul u en de Bâle.
82
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
d’e hnog aphie de Neuchâ el (Suisse), le Rau ens auch-Joes -Museum de Cologne (Alle-
magne, au e ois République édé ale d’Allemagne) ou enco e l’E hnologische Museum à
Be lin5 (Allemagne, au e ois République démoc a ique allemande). Ce p emie a ail de
epé age es compilé sous la o me de iches papie , déposées à Nouméa. Il eçoi le sou-
ien de la Di ec ion des musées na ionaux, au minis è e de la Cul u e, ainsi que de l’O ice
scien i ique cul u el e echnique canaque [sic] c éé en 1982 e sis à Nouméa. En 1985,
Emmanuel Kasa hé ou p end la di ec ion du musée de Nou elle-Calédonie à Nouméa.
Il pou sui alo s le a ail d’in en ai e en amé, no ammen dans les musées océaniens au
cou s de missions e ec uées sous l’égide du musée nouméen e condui à l’o ganisa ion
de l’exposi ion De Jade e de nac e (1990) (Boulay, 1990 e 1993 ; Kasa hé ou, 2005).
Ma ianne Tissandie ejoin le musée de Nou elle-Calédonie en 1997, d’abo d en an
qu’assis an e de conse a ion puis en an que conse a ice- es au a ice. Elle p olonge à
son ou le a ail d’in en ai e lo s de missions qu’elle accompli pou le musée dans des
ins i u ions en Aus alie e en Ao ea oa-Nou elle-Zélande6.
Au-delà des musées, ce e en ep ise béné icie de sou iens poli iques de la pa du gou-
e nemen ançais e de la collec i i é de Nou elle-Calédonie. En e e , ce in en ai e
s’insc i pleinemen au sein de la poli ique de décolonisa ion ins i u ionnelle e de ééqui-
lib age cul u el e social de la Nou elle-Calédonie en a eu du peuple kanak. La alo-
isa ion des cul u es kanak es essen ielle dans ce p ocessus. C’es en ce sens qu’es c éée
l’Agence de dé eloppemen de la cul u e kanak (ADCK) en 1989, aux e mes des acco ds
5 Aujou d’hui le Humbold Fo um, qui conse e les collec ions di es ex a-eu opéennes municipales
de la ille de Be lin.
6 Musées à Sydney, Melbou ne, Adélaïde, Auckland e Welling on
Illus a ion 1 : Exemple d’une iche d’in en ai e édigée pa Roge Boulay, conse ée © les a chi es du
musée de Nou elle-Calédonie.
83
de Ma ignon-Oudino signés en e l’É a e des ep ésen an s des p incipaux pa is po-
li iques calédoniens. L’ADCK a pou bu de conse e e de alo ise les cul u es kanak,
en pa iculie pa le biais de son siège social, le cen e cul u el Tjibaou qui es inaugu é
en mai 1998. L’ADCK in èg e une équipe de collec eu · ice·s du pa imoine imma é iel
kanak cha gée de ecueilli e de assemble les sa oi s kanak. Ce e équipe collabo e
éguliè emen a ec celle du musée de Nou elle-Calédonie en cha ge de l’IPKD, dans une
déma che alignée su les missions du musée, qui epose su un a ail é oi a ec les
communau és locales (Tissandie & Da e , 2023). Dans ce e pe spec i e, l’IPKD es à
eplace dans un con ex e cul u el plus géné al ainsi qu’une é lexion su les liens en e les
ins i u ions pa imoniales e les communau és du e i oi e, kanak e non-kanak.
En 1998, le ex e de l’acco d de Nouméa, qui p olonge les acco ds de Ma ignon-Oudino ,
inclu un pa ag aphe consac é aux « obje s cul u els kanak7 » (République ançaise,
1998). En 2002, l’acco d pa iculie su le dé eloppemen cul u el de la Nou elle-Calé-
donie p écise deux missions conce nan ces obje s cul u els : la p emiè e es de éalise un
in en ai e des obje s kanak dispe sés, andis que la seconde es de me e en dépô ce ains
d’en e eux dans des musées en Nou elle-Calédonie (Minis è e de l’Ou e-me e gou e -
nemen de Nou elle-Calédonie, 2002). Au sein des ins i u ions é a iques calédoniennes
adminis a i es e cul u elles, plusieu s pe sonnali és kanak con ibuen à la pou sui e du
p oje d’in en ai e. C’es le cas dès la c éa ion de l’O ice scien i ique cul u el e echnique
canaque [sic], une ins i u ion née sous l’impulsion de Jean-Ma ie Tjibaou e de Jacques Ié-
kawé (1946-1992), hau - onc ionnai e kanak e mili an au sein de l’Union calédonienne,
pa i indépendan is e. En an que memb e du gou e nemen de Nou elle-Calédonie en
cha ge de la cul u e, Déwé Go odey (1949-2022) sou ien l’insc ip ion des « obje s cul u-
els kanak » au sein de l’acco d de Nouméa e la signa u e d’un ex e po an exclusi e-
men su le dé eloppemen cul u el de la Nou elle-Calédonie8. Ac uellemen , au sein de
l’adminis a ion calédonienne, de nomb eux pos es clés liés à la cul u e son occupés pa
des emmes e des hommes kanak, qui son géné alemen sensibles à la mise en place de
p oje s isan à en ichi l’in en ai e du pa imoine kanak dispe sé.
En e 2011 e 2025, la éalisa ion de l’in en ai e es endue possible g âce à la mise en
place d’une mission dédiée pa le gou e nemen de Nou elle-Calédonie, qui en assu e
le inancemen 9. La mission de l’IPKD comp end une équipe pe manen e de plusieu s
memb es (Roge Boulay, Emmanuel Kasa hé ou, E ienne Be and e Renée Binosi), ain-
si que des s agiai es calédonien·ne·s, qui sillonnen les musées d’Eu ope conse an des
collec ions kanak. À ce e pé iode, les musées de F ance, d’I alie, du Va ican, de Suisse
e d’Allemagne son isi és pendan des missions allan d’une jou née à une semaine.
Déjà in en o iés, des musées comme le Musée d’a e d’his oi e Vi enel de Compiègne
(F ance) ou le Melbou ne Museum (Aus alie), son à nou eau isi és a in d’a ine
les connaissances : ce ains a e ac s kanaks son ainsi iden i iés pa mi des collec ions
jusqu’alo s angées sous la ca égo ie la ge e peu p écise de « mélanésien ». Les moyens
alloués ne pe me en de isi e que les collec ions a ec le plus g and nomb e d’obje s.
Pou les plus pe i es collec ions, la mission IPKD p ocède pa co espondance a ec les
7 Ce ex e p olonge les acco ds de Ma ignon-Oudino signés en 1988 dans la pe spec i e d’une
décolonisa ion de la Nou elle-Calédonie e d’un ééquilib age social, cul u el e économique en a eu de la
popula ion kanak. La cul u e kanak es alo s é ablie comme socle commun dans la onda ion d’une socié é
calédonienne.
8 Comme en émoignen les cou ie s conse és pa Roge Boulay e consul ables dans les a chi es
don il a ai don au MQB-JC (58AP).
9 Le inancemen es de 64 millions de ancs paci iques, soi 536 320 eu os pou la pé iode de 2011
à 2015.
84
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
musées les conse an . Des locaux son mis à disposi ion de la mission de l’IPKD pa la
Maison de la Nou elle-Calédonie à Pa is où les équipes epo en les données écol ées en
musées dans des iches-obje s in o ma iques. Tou es les eche ches p éalables son ainsi
complé ées e en ichies, puis ans é ées su un ableu Excel en ue de leu e semen
su la base de données Mic omusée, u ilisée pa le musée de Nou elle-Calédonie e choi-
sie pou ce e même aison pou hébe ge l’ensemble de l’IPKD. Le choix des s agiai es
pa mi di é en s é ablissemen s calédoniens (musée de Nou elle-Calédonie, Dépa emen
Reche che e Pa imoine de l’ADCK, Di ec ion de la cul u e de la P o ince No d) e des
é udian ·e·s calédonien·ne·s en Hexagone mon e l’ambi ion de ce in en ai e à l’échelle
de la Nou elle-Calédonie. La o ma ion p o essionnelle e l’échange de sa oi s, muséaux
e kanak, son cen aux dans le p ocessus de documen a ion des collec ions kanak. Le
bilan mo al e inancie de la mission (2013) indique comme objec i s pou les p o ession-
nel·le·s calédonien·ne·s :
il s’agi non seulemen de les amilia ise a ec la base documen ai e en cou s de
cons i u ion qu’ils au on un jou à u ilise ou à ai e i e, mais aussi leu pe -
me e de encon e les esponsables scien i iques des collec ions kanak en F ance
e en Eu ope, dans l’espoi que ces con ac s puissen nou i des p oje s communs
u u s. (In en ai e du Pa imoine Kanak Dispe sé, 2013)
À la même époque, ce e aspi a ion ai écho aux eche ches en ep ises depuis les années
1980 pa de nomb eux musées eu opéens su leu s collec ions océaniennes, dans le bu de
mieux e ace e documen e leu his oi e (Méland i & Guio , 2021). De nomb eux p o-
je s collabo a i s, impliquan musées, uni e si és e communau és d’o igine, oien le jou
depuis ce e décennie. L’une de ces ini ia i es es le Melanesian A P ojec , condui en e
2005 e 2010 pa Goldsmi hs, Camb idge Uni e si y e le B i ish Museum (Royaume-
Uni), g âce à un inancemen acco dé pa le A s and Humani ies Resea ch Council du
Royaume-Uni. Ce p oje se ocalise su les collec ions o iginai es des îles de Mélanésie
conse ées pa le B i ish Museum (Adams, 2011), ce qui inclu donc les collec ions kanak
de l’ins i u ion. En 2008, le musée de Nou elle-Calédonie es in i é à pa icipe e à a-
aille su ces collec ions kanak e à en ecueilli l’in en ai e, qui se a ajou é pa la sui e
à la base IPKD. La c éa ion de ce éseau au a des épe cussions pa la sui e e acili e a
le don de 102 obje s kanak au musée de Nou elle-Calédonie pa la amille Had ield en
2009, su lequel nous e iend ons.
La éalisa ion de l’in en ai e s’é ale su une empo ali é longue de plus de qua e décennies,
depuis 1979 jusqu’à nos jou s. Ce e du ée s’explique pa le nomb e impo an d’obje s
kanak : d’ap ès le bilan é abli pa Roge Boulay e Emmanuel Kasa hé ou à l’issue de la
mission gou e nemen ale de l’IPKD, 20 000 obje s kanak se aien conse és dans 225
musées (2015). Pa mi ce e es ima ion, 16 000 d’en e eux on é é é udiés dans 162 mu-
sées à a e s le monde. Ce chi e peu ê e mis en pe spec i e a ec d’au es co pus d’ob-
je s cul u els conse és ho s de leu e i oi e d’o igine, dans un con ex e global de cap a-
ions à des ins muséologiques, scien i iques ou impé ialis es. Digi alBenin10 ecense 5 288
obje s his o iques o iginai es du palais de Benin-ci y, dans le oyaume de Benin (ac uel
Nigé ia), pillé e incendié pa l’a mée b i annique en 1897. Le p oje de eche che « A las
de l’absence. Le pa imoine cul u el du Came oun en Allemagne » a pe mis de comp abi-
lise plus de 40 000 obje s o iginai es de l’ac uel e i oi e du Came oun conse és dans
les seuls musées allemands (Assilkinga, 2023). En 2016, la Polynésie ançaise a lancé un
p og amme d’in en ai e des obje s polynésiens conse és dans les musées mé opoli ains,
10 h ps://digi albenin.o g/ca alogue?page=1&seed=1ikld-hhyyn- q3s -3bona
85
sui an l’exemple de l’IPKD en Nou elle-Calédonie. À ce jou , 53 ins i u ions on é é e-
censées, ab i an 1 330 obje s, e bien que les p incipales collec ions aien é é in en o iées
(à l’excep ion du MQB-JC).
La épa i ion mondiale des collec ions kanak es un au e enjeu : si 118 musées conse -
an des obje s kanak son ac uellemen localisés en F ance hexagonale, des ins i u ions
p ése an le pa imoine kanak dispe sé son si uées su qua e con inen s : en Eu ope,
en Amé ique du No d, en Océanie e p obablemen en Asie. La épa i ion mondiale des
collec ions s’explique pa l’his oi e coloniale qui lie la F ance e la Nou elle-Calédonie,
ainsi que pa l’his oi e scien i ique e muséologique.
L’IPKD p end aujou d’hui pou o me conc è e une base de données in o ma ique su le
logiciel de ges ion des collec ions muséales Mic omusée. En décemb e 2024, la base Mic o-
musée du musée de Nou elle-Calédonie comp enai 5457 iches d’obje s kanak ex é ieu s
à sa collec ion, si ués dans 116 musées p o enan de 17 pays di é en s – su les 136 musées
iden i iés dans le monde. À l’appui des eche ches p écéden es, la cons i u ion de ce e de
base de données e su ou sa mise en ligne demeu e un a ail ch onophage qui implique
epé age des obje s, échanges physiques ou pa mail a ec les musées les conse an , puis
é en uelle e-saisie des iches-obje s lo sque les sys èmes in o ma iques ne son pas compa-
ibles. Depuis la in de la mission de l’IPKD en 2015 e le ans e o iciel de la base de don-
nées au musée de Nou elle-Calédonie, ce e de niè e epose uniquemen su la pe i e équipe
de l’ins i u ion qui doi compose a ec d’au es p oje s d’en e gu e, don le déménagemen
des collec ions dans des ése es ex e nalisées en 2019 e la éno a ion géné ale du musée,
débu ée l’année sui an e. En 2023 e 2024, pou la p emiè e ois, une pe sonne a é é dé-
diée au p oje IPKD, pe me an de se concen e su son écolemen e son en ichissemen .
Cependan , au e de moyens, le con a de ce agen , Edmond Saume, n’a pas é é enou elé
en 2025, laissan de nou eau l’alimen a ion e le dé eloppemen de la base de données à la
cha ge du dépa emen des collec ions du musée, déjà mobilisé su d’au es p oje s majeu s.
Illus a ion 2 : Ca e ep ésen an la épa i ion mondiale des collec ions incluses dans l’IPKD, p ésen ée
dans l’exposi ion Ca ne s kanak. Voyage en in en ai e de Roge Boulay au MQB-JC (oc ob e 2022-ma s
2023). Pho og aphie © Ma ion Be in.
86
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
Collec ions e sa oi s ansna ionaux
L’IPKD es un «in en ai e aisonné» e non pas un in en ai e exhaus i qui assemble ai
les quelque 20 000 obje s kanak es imés dans les collec ions des musées du monde. Les
c i è es de sélec ion s’a achen à p io ise «les obje s les plus in é essan s, en onc ion de
leu p o enance, leu his oi e, les ci cons ances de leu collec e, leu aleu es hé ique ou
leu é a de conse a ion» (Musée de Nou elle-Calédonie, s.d.). Ces c i è es disc iminen
ou pa iculiè emen les a mes, ès nomb euses dans les collec ions kanak en aison de
l’his oi e mili ai e e coloniale de la Nou elle-Calédonie, du goû pou de els obje s au
XIXe e dans la p emiè e moi ié du XXe siècle, ainsi que leu disponibili é.
Comme nous l’a ons p écédemmen indiqué, le ans e des p emiè es iches sous o ma s
papie e s un o ma numé ique s’es opé é pa iellemen lo s de la mission du gou e ne-
men de Nou elle-Calédonie en e 2011 e 2015. À ces iches se son ajou ées celles des ob-
je s nou ellemen é udiés, au u e à mesu e des missions e ec uées pa l’équipe de l’IPKD.
Dans le dé ail, chaque iche inclu la désigna ion de l’obje , sa localisa ion muséale p ésen e,
sa égion d’o igine en Nou elle-Calédonie, les ma é iaux qui le cons i uen , ses dimensions,
une da a ion, ainsi que les collec eu · ice·s ou collec ionneu · ice·s lui é an liés. Ce de nie
aspec a ai l’obje de g ande a en ion lo s des missions, dans une déma che d’his oi e
des collec ions. Un impo an a ail su les a chi es des musées isi és e d’au es onds
u mené en même emps que l’in en ai e pe me an , lo sque cela é ai possible, d’inclu e
dans les iches des da es de collec es, des pé iodes de ab ica ion ou même des émoignages
éc i s des collec eu · ice·s. Une ou plusieu s pho og aphies, oi e pa ois des documen s
d’a chi es, complè en ces données ex uelles. S’y ajou en égalemen quelques c oquis à
l’aqua elle éalisés pa Roge Boulay dans le bu de documen e des dé ails echniques d’ob-
je s, ou bien dans une isée compa a i e en assemblan plusieu s obje s.
En 2015, la base de données cons i uée u ans é ée au musée de Nou elle-Calédonie
qui en assu e depuis la ges ion, en la pe sonne de Ma ianne Tissandie . Ce e de niè e es
égalemen cha gée de la base de données d’in en ai e des collec ions du musée de Nou-
elle-Calédonie, hébe gée su le même logiciel Mic omusée, elian i uellemen les deux
ypes de collec ions. Depuis no emb e 2022, la base de données de l’IPKD es p og essi-
emen mise en ligne a in d’ê e accessible au plus g and nomb e à l’in e na ional. La mise
en ligne in e ien musée pa musée ca il es nécessai e de ep end e con ac a ec chacun
d’eux pou ob eni l’au o isa ion de publie les in o ma ions e les pho og aphies don ils
son les déposi ai es ainsi que de é i ie é en uellemen les élémen s assemblés.
Si la majo i é des iches papie u indexée pendan la mission IPKD, ce aines es en en-
co e à ajou e à la base de données d’in en ai e. En 2023 e 2024, Edmond Saume a mené
un a ail essen iel de c éa ion de iches-obje s, a in de end e accessibles numé iquemen
celles édigées pa Roge Boulay su papie qui es aien enco e inaccessibles. Ce e mis-
sion es in e enue en pa allèle du a ail égulie de complémen des iches exis an es
mené en in e ne au musée. Ce écolemen mon e la nécessi é de é i ie les in o ma ions
assemblées dans les années 1980 lo s des p emiè es missions de Roge Boulay. En e -
e , des changemen s de numé o a ion, de désigna ion ou de p o enance u en no és ou
des pho og aphies numé iques plus écen es u en ou ées, en pa iculie su les bases
publiées des musées. Les eche ches ou les écolemen s dans les musées conse an des
collec ions kanak conduisen égalemen à l’ajou de nou eaux numé os aux obje s kanak
connus. La base ac uelle es ainsi la syn hèse des missions successi es e ec uées au il des
années. Tou es les in o ma ions ajou ées numé iquemen indiquen la da e e le nom de
87
la pe sonne ayan appo é des ajou s ou des modi ica ions, ce qui pe me d’his o icise e
d’humanise les données sou en endues a empo elles e anonymes dans de elles bases
de données numé iques (Bel ame, 2015 ; on Oswald, 2022).
En complémen des iches-obje s, l’IPKD assemble des sa oi s su les collec ions kanak
dispe sées. Une ub ique en ligne es consac ée à la bibliog aphie e aux a icles de p esse
ai an du pa imoine kanak dispe sé, pe me an de end e honneu aux eche ches in-
e na ionales ai es pa Roge Boulay, Emmanuel Kasa hé ou, ou lo s de eche ches plus
écen es s’appuyan su l’IPKD (Ce u i, 2023 ; Galla ini, 2023 ; G een, 2023). L’IPKD a
oca ion égalemen à in e eni comme une essou ce de é é ence, en pa iculie pou les
noms des obje s. La enomina ion des obje s des collec ions di es e hnog aphiques ai en
e e pa ie des axes de é lexion menés pa de nomb eux musées au cou s des de niè es
années dans le bu de omp e a ec ce aines e minologies hé i iè es de l’époque coloniale
(Bel ame, 2015 ; Bodens ein e al., 2024; B izon, 2023 ; on Oswald, 2022). Le musée
de Nou elle-Calédonie ai é olue ce aines désigna ions d’obje s kanak su sa base de
données, qui se de base à celle de l’IPKD. Un exemple no oi e es une ypologie d’obje s
au e ois appelés « hache os ensoi » : ce nom, donné pa les Eu opéens du ai de sa simi-
la i é a ec l’os ensoi ca holique, illus e pleinemen le « p ocessus d’app op ia ion globa-
lisée » (B izon, 2023, p. 114), an ma é iel qu’imma é iel, opé é pa la collec e d’obje s.
La désigna ion « hache os ensoi » es à p ésen emplacée pa « hache ou casse- ê e de
cé émonie (« os ensoi ») »11 dans les in en ai es e les bases de données.
Le a ail de l’IPKD é end considé ablemen le nomb e d’obje s kanak connus dans le
monde. En éunissan des co pus d’obje s d’une même ypologie, il ou e de nou elles
pe spec i es de eche ches su l’his oi e de l’a e de la cul u e ma é ielle kanak. Les
co pus iden i iés e dénomb és pe me en de mesu e la a e é ou l’excep ionnali é de ce -
ains obje s (Laga de, 2024). À i e d’exemple, il es de enu appa en que les collie s de
pe les en néph i e, des obje s de p es ige e d’échanges dans le monde kanak, comp ennen
la plupa du emps moins de 150 pe les ; les collie s en comp an da an age son ainsi ex-
cep ionnels, comme en émoigne l’un d’eux o iginai e de l’ai e cou umiè e Paicî-Cèmuhî
de Nou elle-Calédonie e conse é au musée de Hienghène (ill. 3).
Roge Boulay a ou pa iculiè emen a aillé su les sculp u es éalisées dans le con ex e
des g andes cases, lieux de pou oi des che s kanak p og essi emen dispa us au cou s de
la pé iode coloniale (Boulay, 1986 ; Boulay, 2021). Son a ail s’appuie su des co pus
é endus pa le a ail de l’IPKD, qui se chi en à 737 obje s aujou d’hui. A la lumiè e de
ces co pus, son hypo hèse es le pa age d’un mo i commun à l’ensemble du e i oi e, le
nœud de l’in e di , soumis à des a ian es égionales.
Pa l’ex ension des co pus d’obje s connus, ce ains qui semblaien au e ois similai es
son plus p écisémen disce nés les uns des au es. Di é en s ypes de lances, ayan des
onc ions spéci iques pou la gue e ou des cé émonies, son mieux dis ingués. La consul-
a ion e la manipula ion de ces lances dans les musées suggè en que ce aines lances di es
de gue e se aien au e ois pou des cé émonies e on pe du les poils de ousse e e les
plaque es en bois qui pa icipaien à les iden i ie .
11 Un exemplai e de ce obje , conse é au musée can onal d’a chéologie e d’his oi e à Lausanne
(Suisse), a quan à lui eçu un nou eau nom unique e spéci ique, « Nââkwé a » en langue xâ âcùù, g âce
au a ail collabo a i mené en e Clai e B izon, esponsable des collec ions océaniennes du musée, e Denis
Pou awa, poè e kanak. Pou Denis Pou awa : « Ce mo Nââkwé a a é é choisi en é é ence à la baie de Kou io
Koué a, qui dans la mémoi e o ale es le lieu de dépa d’un obje p es igieux don l’his oi e a é é ansmise
pa une pa ole cou umiè e clanique » (B izon, 2023, p.113).
88
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
Aujou d’hui, l’IPKD e le musée de Nou elle-Calédonie son de enus des é é ences in-
e na ionales pou la documen a ion des collec ions kanak. Les di é en es p écisions
men ionnées s’opè en à l’échelle des musées du monde, qui con ac en le musée de Nou-
elle-Calédonie pou son expe ise é ablie e econnue. Les p écisions e complémen s
d’in o ma ions on égalemen e su ou cou s à l’appui des eche ches menées aup ès des
communau és kanak de Nou elle-Calédonie, p emiè es béné iciai es de l’IPKD.
Un in en ai e au se ice du peuple kanak e de la Nou elle-Calédonie
Comme indiqué dès no e in oduc ion, l’IPKD isai ou pa iculiè emen les commu-
nau és kanak comme écipiendai es du sa oi ecueilli. Pou Jean-Ma ie Tjibaou, ce e
ini ia i e a ai ou d’abo d pou bu de edonne con iance au peuple kanak cul u el-
lemen pa lan , dans une pé iode enco e ès la gemen ma quée pa les s igma es de la
Illus a ion 3 : Collie de pe les de jade - i i hê mecio - caawe, ibu Tiouandé, ai e cou umiè e Paicî-Cèmuhî
de Nou elle-Calédonie, conse é © le musée de Hienghène, in . MHI 89.1.15.
89
colonisa ion e pa le acisme (Leblic, 2003 ; Tjibaou, 1996). Dès les p emiè es missions
menées pa Roge Boulay, les données ecueillies u en déposées en Nou elle-Calédonie.
Plusieu s publica ions (Boulay, 1982 ; Boulay, 1984) oien le jou dans les années 1980
g âce au sou ien de l’O ice cul u el scien i ique e echnique canaque ; elles son g a ui e-
men dis ibuées dans les écoles e les che e ies kanak. Ces publica ions incluen de la ges
planches illus ées d’obje s du pa imoine kanak dispe sé, en pa iculie des appliques e
des lèches aî iè es issues de g andes cases. De maniè e concomi an e, des pe i s es i als
o ganisés de maniè e égionale pou sui en la dynamique cul u elle ini iée pa Mélanésia
2000. Des cases son econs ui es à ces occasions dans plusieu s illages don Sa améa,
Poindimié e Hienghène su la G ande Te e (Roge Boulay : communica ion pe sonnelle,
en e ien en da e du 11 décemb e 2023). De elles cons uc ions son a o ables à une
ansmission in e géné a ionnelle des sa oi s de cons uc ion. De plus, plusieu s sculp-
eu s kanak s’empa en de l’aspec o mel des sculp u es d’appliques pou en ai e un
mo i sculp é au onome e déconnec é de onc ions a chi ec u ales : c’es le cas d’a is es
comme Gilbe Kaoua ou Ma c Déha, don les œu es on pa ie des collec ions pub-
liques du Fonds d’A Con empo ain Kanak e Océanien (FACKO) p ése é pa l’ADCK
à Nouméa. Les a is es con empo ains demeu en pa iculiè emen demandeu ·se·s d’in-
o ma ions, no ammen en ce qui conce ne les echniques de ab ica ion anciennes pou
la sculp u e su bois, la spa e ie e la anne ie.
Ou e les a is es, les collec eu · ice·s du pa imoine kanak au sein de l’ADCK son pa ic-
uliè emen in é essé·e·s pa les ésul a s de l’IPKD. Les in en ai es du pa imoine dispe sé
e du pa imoine imma é iel kanak dans l’a chipel son lancés de maniè e concomi an e
à la in des années 1970. Ces eche ches se pou sui en ensui e de maniè e pa allèle. En
2012 e en 2013, lo s de la mission gou e nemen ale IPKD, Roge Boulay e Emmanuel
Kasa hé ou p ésen en l’é a d’a ancemen des eche ches en Nou elle-Calédonie, en pa -
iculie aup ès des équipes de collec e o ale e imma é ielle de l’ADCK. Ces séances de
a ail pe me en de con on e les données assemblées pa l’IPKD a ec celles de la a-
di ion o ale dé enue pa les Anciens, pe sonnali és ga diennes des sa oi s dans le monde
kanak. Les discussions po è en alo s su les echniques e les ma é iaux mis en œu e
pou les obje s us pa les memb es de la mission en Eu ope, no ammen les massues e
les monnaies d’échanges, dans la pe spec i e de pou oi en ep odui e ce ains d’en e eux
en Nou elle-Calédonie. Ainsi qu’il é ai souhai é ini ialemen , la base de données IPKD
demeu e une açon de amene i uellemen les obje s in en o iés e les sa oi s qui leu
son associés en Nou elle-Calédonie, en endan disponibles les in o ma ions à ou es
les ibus e clans locaux, bien que les in o ma ions de collec es ne soien en géné al pas
su isammen p écises pou dé e mine une ibu d’o igine. L’exp ession « e ou i uel»
n’es pas employée pa les memb es de la mission IPKD au momen de sa enue. Même si
l’idée d’une mise en ligne aisai pa ie des souhai s à long e me, les objec i s au momen
de l’in en ai e é aien a an ou de encon e les conse a eu · ice·s pou assemble un
plus g and co pus d’obje s e acili e la enue d’exposi ions dans le u u . A ce e époque,
la olon é p incipale des memb es é ai de collabo e e de se p ésen e su un pied d’égal-
i é a ec les musées ho s du e i oi e de Nou elle-Calédonie, plu ô que d’adop e une
pos u e e endica i e ace à la dispe sion de leu pa imoine. Aucune demande de es i u-
ion n’in e in e ce son uniquemen des demandes d’in o ma ions qui u en o mulées,
dans le souci de noue des liens de con iance en e ins i u ions e leu s équipes.
96
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
his oi e echnique en complémen de l’his oi e ac uelle des acquisi ions des
collec ions es un le ie ema quable, qui susci e un egain d’in é ê aup ès des
jeunes e insc i dans les consciences une onc ion nou elle des é ablissemen s
muséaux.1
Dans ce e con inui é, le p oje Ra a’a se posi ionne égalemen su les enjeux des sa oi s
locaux (accessibili é des données, pa agées, ou e es, éu ilisables dans le espec du d oi
d’au eu su les sa oi s adi ionnels e les exp essions cul u elles adi ionnelles) e la
maniè e don il es possible de les in ég e dans les p a iques décisionnelles pou un a eni
du able.
Bien que si uée en Polynésie ançaise, un con ex e où le concep de décolonisa ion ou e
nécessai emen une lec u e al e na i e (Gagné & Salaün, 2010), ce e expé imen a ion en-
endai ép ou e une mé hodologie pe me an de edonne « oix» aux obje s conse és
au musée pa les expe es en anne ie issues de di é en es îles de l’a chipel e mobilisées
dans le p oje . Il s’agissai en cela de con ibue aux é lexions en cou s su les modal-
i és de éapp op ia ion e de sou e aine é au och one – que l’on peu connâi e en Nou-
elle-Calédonie égalemen (Puel & Van Gee , 2021) – ainsi que su le ôle d’un musée
e i o ial comme Te Fa e Iamanaha dans ce p ocessus (Nyssen, 2024). Nous p oposons
d’expose ici ce e déma che, sa mé hodologie e les p emie s ésul a s du p oje Ra a’a,
esse en Polynésie ançaise.
La genèse du p oje : un cons a au cœu du musée
En 2016-2017, les équipes cu a o iales e de conse a ion- es au a ion du MQB-JC me-
nè en une analyse his o ique (p o enance des œu es, é a de l’a des sou ces) e scien-
i ique de hui é en ails āhii des îles Ma quises–Te Henua Èna a. Ce e é ude aisai sui e
à un cons a exp imé à plusieu s ep ises pa des déléga ions polynésiennes, eçues ap ès
l’ou e u e du musée en 2006: ce aines echniques anciennes de essage, associées à des
obje s de p es ige, son aujou d’hui é ein es dans plusieu s a chipels. Pa mi ces obje s, les
é en ail āhii se dis inguaien pa une iconog aphie eu opéenne abondan e qui émoignai
de leu impo ance dans la cul u e ma é ielle ma quisienne ancienne où ils é aien associés
aux pe sonnes de hau ang (I o y, 1990; La ondès, 1995e 2016). Leu p oduc ion, em-
p ein e d’un sa oi - ai e ema quable e spéci ique à leu a chipel, alliai mondes éminin
( essage) e masculin (sculp u e).
La colonisa ion dans l’a chipel(1838-1842) p o oqua des ans o ma ions p o ondes de
la socié é, un d ama ique phénomène de dépeuplemen (Rallu, 1991; Sand, 2024), une
pe e des sa oi s e une suspension de la ansmission. L’a ê de la p oduc ion des āhii
u mani es e dès le débu du 20e siècle. Du an les années 1970, une o me de econquê e
cul u elle se déploie dans les îles de Polynésie ançaise, mais se ocalise aux Ma quises
su la sculp u e e le apa (é o e d’éco ce ba ue), au dé imen du essage. Ce cons a
de la «pe e», ou de ce «sommeil», don l’expé ience de Ra a’a mon è en ensui e
qu’il n’é ai pas i émédiable ni dé ini i , ma qua le poin de dépa de l’é ude ciblée su
les anne ies des îles Ma quises. De même, les mul iples hypo hèses su la na u e des
ib es u ilisées, o mulées pa les oyageu s e e hnog aphes ayan eu accès à ces obje s,
nou issaien le besoin d’analyses scien i iques plus poussées. Ces cons a s mo i è en les
p émices des eche ches su ces essages spéci iques, menées pa Ch is ophe Moulhé-
a , alo s cha gé des analyses au sein du pôle conse a ion- es au a ion du MQB-JC,
Magali Méland i, esponsable des collec ions Océanie du MQB-JC, e Céline Ke an ,
1 In e en ion colloque ICOFOM 2023, Nouméa.
97
a chéo-bo anis e, à l’aide d’ou ils numé iques d’image ie – omog aphie aux ayons X,
s é éo-mic oscopie op ique sous camé a e mic oscopie numé ique 3D Hi ox®.Ce ou il-
lage pe me ai d’obse e ces pièces sans mé hodologie in asi e, d’explo e leu s uc u e
in e ne, de con ibue à quali ie la na u e des ib es e de cons i ue ainsi une documen a-
ion isuelle p écise à même d’ê e con on ée aux expe ises echniques con empo aines
en PF. Ces p emiè es images é élaien déjà la inesse de p épa a ion des ib es égé ales
de la amille des Pandanaceae, ou enco e des ébauches de ges es (Ke an , Méland i &
Moulhé a , 2019). Ce e é ape pe mi égalemen de dé ini un ocabulai e commun de
desc ip ion echnique de la s uc u e de l’é en ail, éemployable dans la sui e du p oje
a in d’en egis e leu s équi alen s en langues e naculai es polynésiennes.
En 2020-2021, in le emps d’un p emie pa age in si u a ec les communau és. Une
con en ion de dépô à long e me, signée pa les ois che cheu s impliqués dans l’é ude de
2016-2017 e la Di ec ion de la Cul u e e du Pa imoine (DCP) de PF isai à la di usion
Illus a ion 1 : Obse a ion du essage d’un panie de l’île de Rapa (TFI-MTI), ma s 2023. Pho o pa
Hélène Guio , © Te Fa e Iamanaha–musée de Tahi i e des îles.
des dossie s documen ai es p odui aup ès de onze ins i u ions cul u elles e scien i iques,
à Tahi i e aux îles Ma quises (musées, CMA de PF, Uni e si é de PF-UPF, biblio hèques,
édé a ions cul u elles locales). Ce pa age cons i uai une éapp op ia ion du ma é iau
scien i ique aup ès des ins i u ions de eche che, de alo isa ion e de média ion des pa-
imoines de PF. Ce e ela ion d’ins i u ion à ins i u ion, en e F ance hexagonale e col-
lec i i é d’ou e-me ne pou ai cependan qu’ê e une é ape, ou an su des pe spec i es
de collabo a ion locale.
98
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
Le p oje Ra a’a, esse des collabo a ions en Polynésie ançaise
Les anne ies son des a e ac s qui conse en , dans leu ma é iali é, ou es les echniques
de leu mise en œu e (Jolie & Mc B inn, 2010), lesquelles ne son pas ep oduc ibles pa
une machine (Bunn, 2016). Ces deux ca ac è es on des anne ies e des annie ·è e·s les
déposi ai es de echnologies égé ales anciennes (Respicio, 2000).
Aussi, les p emiè es décou e es conduisen en 2022-2023 à la mise en œu e d’une dy-
namique a iculan di é en s ac eu s qui agissen localemen pou les sa oi s e la ans-
mission.
Le p oje p end alo s le nom de «Ra a’a, esse en Polynésie ançaise. Pa age d’expé-
iences e analyses des collec ions de anne ies de Te Fa e Iamanaha». Po é pa TFI-
MTI, il eçoi une sub en ion de A chipel.eu ainsi que du Hau -Commissa ia de la PF
e s’é abli a ec les sou iens du MQB-JC (p ê du mic oscope 3D Hi ox®), du Se ice de
l’a isana adi ionnel e du CMA de PF qui con ibuen à la s uc u a ion du p oje de
eche che e qui se conc é ise pa la mise en place d’un a elie collabo a i en ma s 2023.
Ra a’a, une eche che plu idisciplinai e e cul u ellemen mul i-si uée
Le choix du e me a a’a (« esse » en eo -langue- Tahi i) e lè e l’anc age polynésien
du p oje . Le p oje en isage ainsi les anne ies dans leu p o ondeu de emps e dans la
plu ali é des popula ions de PF, a in de co-cons ui e une eche che qui a icule le sa oi
des expe es polynésiennes, les données muséog aphiques, his o iques, an h opologiques
e bo aniques, e celles des sciences du pa imoine.
Dans le cad e de l’a elie collabo a i de ma s 2023, le g oupe de a ail éunissai :
• l’équipe de conse a ion du Te Fa e Iamanaha: Tama a Ma ic, conse a ice,
Ma ine Vallée, assis an e de conse a ion e la di ec ice du musée, Mi iama
Bono;
• qua e anniè es expe es: Vainui Ba sinas, ins allée dans l’île de Rapa (îles
Aus ales), spécialisée dans le a ail du oseau des mon agnesā’eho; Eme i a
Tapu u, o iginai e de Ru u u (îles Aus ales), ancienne enseignan e au CMA
e expe e dans le a ail du pandanus pae’o e; Te ahine Tea iki, o iginai e
de Nuku a ake (Tuāmo u) e spécialisée dans le a ail de la palme de coco-
ie nī’au; Iae a Te aa ana o iginai e de Rima a a (îles Aus ales) e expe e
dans le a ail du pae’o e;
• deux é udian es en Diplôme Na ional MA de pa cou s Fib es e ex iles, hé -
i ages polynésiens: p ocessus inno an e éco- esponsable (CMA de PF): Hin-
e upe Leho e Océane Tama i Wong, e le é é en pédagogique du CMA, J-D
Tokainiua De a ine;
• Hélène Guio , e hno-a chéologue, spécialis e des pa imoines polynésiens;
• Céline Ke an , a chéobo anis e;
• Magali Méland i, esponsable de l’uni é pa imoniale Océanie – Insulinde au
MQB-JC.
Des anniè es expe es ep ésen an la di e si é des sa oi - ai e insulai es on é é associées
au p oje .
99
Mé hodologies
L’a elie combinai donc l’obse a ion au mic oscope 3D Hi ox® de anne ies de Poly-
nésie cen ale e o ien ale issues des collec ions de TFI-MTI, à des expé imen a ions de
essage d’ap ès les hypo hèses echniques émises pa l’obse a ion. Dans ce con ex e, les
anniè es on accep é de mobilise leu s sa oi - ai e a in de edonne ie à des echniques
passées qui n’é aien pas nécessai emen liées à leu iden i é d’o igine.
Illus a ion 2. Obse a ion au mic oscope 3D Hi ox® des dé ails du essage de l’é en ail in . 78.03.44
(TFI-MTI), é ie 2023. Pho o pa Hélène Guio . © Te Fa e Iamanaha–musée de Tahi i e des îles.
S’insc i an dans une déma che de pa age des données, le p oje Ra a’a a dès le dépa ,
souhai é applique les p incipes FAIR (Facile à ou e , Accessible, In e opé able, Réu il-
isable) e CARE (a an age Collec i , Au o i é en ma iè e de con ôle, Responsabili é,
É hique) pou la ges ion e l’in endance des données scien i iques. Les p incipes FAIR, au
cœu de la science ou e e, isen à acili e la décou e e des données, leu accessibili é
du able (lib e, g a ui e e sécu isée), leu combinaison (pa l’emploi de langage pa agé
pa ous) e leu éu ilisa ion, impliquan de ou ni des in o ma ions su les condi ions
de leu exploi a ion ( oi pa exemple Wilkinson e al., 2016). Les p incipes CARE, en
complémen aux p incipes FAIR, conce nen spéci iquemen la gou e nance des données
au och ones (mis en place pou la p emiè e ois pa GIDA, 2019), a in que les popula ions
conce nées puissen en i e un a an age (c oissance, inno a ion inclusi e, ésul a s équi-
ables, gou e nance des données, maximise l’usage u u , e c.).
Lo s des ois semaines d’a elie , l’obse a ion s’es concen ée su les collec ions d’é en ails
du TFI-MTI, ainsi que su un panie e un sou ien-go ge de cos ume de danse de l’île de
Rapa (îles Aus ales). Ces deux de nie s obje s, con ec ionnés en ib e de kiekie (F eycine-
100
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
ia impa ida) on se i de co pus de compa aison pou les āhii é en ails ma quisiens, en
cons i uan des exemples in é essan s d’usage de ib es similai es, illus an ou e ois des
ailles de b ins e des pé iodes di é en es. Ensui e, la eche che s’es ocalisée su deux é en-
ails āhi i, p o enan de l’ancienne collec ion James Hoope , acquise pa le musée en 19782.
Associés aux îles de la Socié é dans les in en ai es du musée, ces deux é en ails se aien
o iginai es des îles Cook (Polynésie cen ale), mais aisemblablemen collec és aux îles de
la Socié é, comme cela a ai cou s au 18e siècle, où ces a chipels en e enaien depuis long-
emps des liens dynamiques (Te Rangi Hi oa, 1944).
Leu echnique d’assemblage complexe a nécessi é plusieu s alle s- e ou s de phases d’ob-
se a ion des obje s, à l’œil nu e a ec l’Hi ox®, ainsi que des phases d’expé imen a ion
ini iées pa les anniè es soucieuses d’allie é ude e p a ique pou mieux app éhende la
comp éhension echnique de ces obje s pa imoniaux.
Ac eu s locaux
Pou TFI-MTI, Ra a’a inca nai l’une de ses missions ondamen ales en an qu’ins i u-
ion muséale p incipale de PF e ma é ialisai l’impo ance de l’aspec i an e inclusi au
cœu de son nou eau p oje scien i ique e cul u el (Bono e al., 2022; Nyssen, 2024)3.
La p épa a ion de ce e nou elle phase du p oje a coïncidé a ec l’ins alla ion des col-
lec ions dans la nou elle salle d’exposi ion pe manen e, e le débu du ole in si u s’es
a iculé a ec sa éou e u e débu ma s 2023. Ainsi, ce ains obje s associés aux p a iques
de essage de ib es é aien ou nou ellemen exposés, andis que le es e du co pus des
collec ions du TFI-MTI comp enai plus de 200 é é ences (excep ion ai e des cos umes
de danse ‘o i Tahi i).
Deux au es ac eu s ins i u ionnels locaux on con ibué à s uc u e e ins alle le p oje
à Tahi i.
Le Se ice de l’a isana adi ionnel, c éé en 1984, es guidé pa plusieu s missions don
le sens a é olué depuis sa naissance. Pa mi elles, il s’agi no ammen de s uc u e , p o es-
sionnalise e p omou oi le sec eu , e d’accompagne son dé eloppemen économique
e social. S’il s’es concen é à ses o igines su l’accompagnemen inancie des p oje s des
a isans adi ionnels, il in e ien beaucoup plus su le e ain aujou d’hui, no ammen
pou ai e ace à des enjeux plus la ges de p ése a ion e de di usion des sa oi s e sa-
oi - ai e adi ionnels. En e e , jadis p ésen dans p esque ou es ses p a iques e dans
ous les a chipels, l’a isana adi ionnel es aujou d’hui o emen es ein pa di é-
en es éali és. Les enjeux e logiques économiques inissen pa adoxalemen pa a oi un
impac su les c éa ions e su la ansmission des sa oi - ai e e imposen de ai e é olue
les ega ds e de p ése e ce qui peu l’ê e.
Le CMA es un é ablissemen de o ma ion c éé en 1980 à Pape’e e, à l’ini ia i e de Hen i
Bou ie , ancien élè e de l’école Boulle, qui p i souche à Tahi i (Rémy & Rémy, 1997).
L’é ablissemen , à a e s un pa cou s de o ma ion allan du Ce i ica polynésien des
Mé ie s d’a au Diplôme na ional des mé ie s d’a e du design, alan g ade Licence,
don les pa enai es son le Lycée Samuel Ra’apo o (LSR) e l’UPF, a pou mission la
o ma ion héo ique e p a ique d’a is es e d’a isans hau emen quali iés dans les disci-
plines a is iques adi ionnelles e mode nes, la eche che e le pe ec ionnemen des ech-
niques a isanales. Sa philosophie o iginelle es égalemen de pe me e à des adolescen s
2 N° in . 78.03.43 e .44.
3 «Les missions», TFI-MTI h ps://www.musee ahi i.p /le-musee-de- ahi i-e -des-iles/, page consul ée
le 22/11/2024.
101
pa ois en si ua ion d’échec e de déc ochage scolai e de ou e une oie de éussi e dans
les mé ie s d’a polynésien que son , en e au es, la sculp u e su bois, la g a u e su
nac e, la anne ie, le essage e le dessin. Bou ie (1982) décla a à p opos de la c éa ion
du CMA que son «bu p incipal [é ai ] de double l’ac ion de o ma ion a isanale pa le
sau e age social d’une pa ie des en an s don la scola i é se [ e minai ] à 14 ou 15 ans».
L’é ablissemen pe me aussi à des adul es en econ e sion économique, ou long emps
ma ginalisés scolai emen , de sui e une o ma ion e d’ê e econnus pou leu alen
c éa i e de concep ualisa ion.
Les p incipes de l’enseignemen son de égéné e les pa imoines polynésiens en les ais-
an é olue , ia l’acquisi ion de echniques de ep ésen a ion a iées, la connaissance de
l’his oi e, la comp éhension de la socié é ac uelle e l’appo des nou elles echnologies. Il
s’agi de laisse des aces de la i ali é des cul u es polynésiennes, de les di use e de les
ai e pe du e dans le emps: en ichi les pa imoines cul u els océaniens es une maniè e
de con ibue à l’œu e ances ale e d’hono e les ancê es.
Une a ié é d’app oches pédagogiques (cou s magis aux, a elie s p a iques, p oje s col-
labo a i s, wo kshops e pa ena ia s ins i u ionnels na ionaux e in e na ionaux) en-
cou age les é udian s à explo e les p ocessus de ab ica ion an adi ionnels que ceux
anc és dans des e i oi es di é en s, e in e ogen l’impac de leu p oduc ion su les
écosys èmes insulai es.
La syne gie ans e sale mise en place dans le cad e du p oje Ra a’a, en e p a icien·ne·s,
che cheu ·e·s, ins i u ions cul u elles e s uc u es de o ma ion e de p o essionnalisa ion,
n’a ai pas jusqu’ici é ai expé imen ée dans le cad e de p oje s cul u els à Tahi i. C’es
donc d’abo d la cons uc ion d’un collec i de a ail qui a p ésidé au dé oulemen de ce
wo kshop à Tahi i, cimen indispensable au dé eloppemen d’un el p oje .
Des ésul a s plu iels, cen és su une p obléma ique de ansmission
Redécou i e ansme e
La ( e)décou e e de ma iè es u ilisées pou ce aines œu es des collec ions du TFI-MTI
a ou e de nou eaux ho izons e con ibue à so i d’une endance selon laquelle ce qui se
ai aujou d’hui es la «seule» adi ion ansmise pa les ancê es e admise, empêchan
de s’in e oge su les p a iques anciennes éelles e de s’au o ise à ques ionne , in e p é-
e e éin en e la c éa ion. Ainsi, des p a iques pou an écen es se pe den , à l’image
du kiekie, appelé «osie » à Rapa. Comme le no e Vainui Ba sinas:
C’es la acine aé ienne qui es u ilisée. Je connaissais déjà ce e ib e; elle é ai
u ilisée pou la con ec ion d’un panie de Rapa exposé au musée, e des cos umes
de danse que ma sœu a ai po és en 1992 pou le Hei a [concou s de danse
adi ionnelle].
La con on a ion aux echniques anciennes don la mise en sommeil se con ond pa ois
a ec un oubli ou une pe e i émédiable, a pe mis aux spécialis es de epense la nécessi é
de ansme e a in d’é i e l’e i emen des sa oi - ai e. Ce e dynamique ela ionnelle
en e deux communau és, l’une p a icienne e l’au e muséale, a nou i une o me d’agen-
i i é des collec i s au se ice de la connaissance e sa ansmission c oisée.
102
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
Les é udian es Océane Wong e Hine upe Leho on pu a aille a ec des in e enan ·e·s
de nomb euses disciplines e dans un cad e à la ois de o ma ion uni e si ai e e de e-
che che a isanale, muséale, e hnog aphique e bo anique su les ma é iaux, les sa oi s
e les echniques ep ésen e un emplin p o essionnel pou les jeunes s’in é essan aux
pa imoines océaniens.
T ansme e au-delà des spéciali és
Le p oje Ra a’a s’es cons i ué au ou d’une app oche ondamen ale, celle du pa age de
sa oi - ai e e d’expé ience. Les ois spécialis es iden i iées pa le Se ice de l’a isana
adi ionnel on ainsi appo é leu expe ise echnique e cul u elle, au a e s de leu s
iden i és cul u elles dis inc es, de leu s pa cou s e de leu s spéciali és.
Ba sinas a ele é l’in é ê de ces spéciali és c oisées qui on pe mis à chacune d’appo e
ses connaissances ela i es à sa ma iè e de p édilec ion. Comme elle le souligne, ce p o-
je collabo a i a mis en aleu l’expe ise de chacune, acili an la comp éhension des
echniques mises en œu e pou le essage des œu es qui leu é aien p ésen ées. Elle
explique:
Le plus di icile a é é de ou e la base du essage: il a allu de nomb eux essais
su les deux p emiè es semaines du p oje . Pou cela, nous a ons dû sou en e e-
ni à l’Hi ox pou obse e l’obje , dé ai e les essages puis ecommence à esse
à pa i du débu .
Ce e mé hodologie du c oisemen des sa oi s en e en dis up ion a ec les p a iques en
place dans les a chipels de PF. En e e , la ep ésen a ion de ces a chipels s’exp ime au a-
e s d’obje s, qui symbolisen à eux seuls une dynamique o e de leu spécialisa ion. P o-
bablemen impulsée dans le cad e d’une o ganisa ion adminis a i e déconcen ée, ce e
ision a é é accen uée pa les p a iques ou is iques. Une ca og aphie économique menée
en 2022 pa le Se ice de l’a isana adi ionnel mon e clai emen ce e épa i ion des
sa oi - ai e ès ma quée: 50% des annie ·è e·s son concen é·e·s aux Aus ales e 72%
des sculp eu s-g a eu s aux Ma quises. Ainsi, en lien a ec une app oche économique de-
enue p égnan e dans le sec eu , de nomb eux sa oi - ai e se son pe dus au p o i d’une
spécialisa ion pe me an de épond e aux a en es des ache eu s, impac an à e me la
di e si é des p a iques.
Ce e spécialisa ion génè e pa ailleu s un o sen imen de p op ié é des sa oi - ai e,
en con adic ion a ec un non moins o sen imen de n’ê e qu’un maillon ace à des
enseignemen s qui n’appa iennen pas à l’indi idu mais au collec i . Des consul a ions
du sec eu menées in 2024 on mon é la é icence des a isans des Aus ales à enseigne
aux a isans des Tuamo u la p épa a ion du pae’o e, andis que le écen enou eau de la
p a ique du apa à Tahi i inquiè e ce ains p épa a eu s de apa des Ma quises, qui consi-
dè en ce sa oi - ai e lié à leu iden i é.
Ce e même é icence a pou an pe mis de mene une é lexion spéci ique dans le cad e
du p oje Ra a’a, don les p o ocoles de a ail e de ges ion des données collec ées on é é
p ésen és aux comi és cul u els des Aus ales pou alida ion p éalable à la pa icipa ion
des expe es de ce a chipel. Ce e é ape s’es é élée essen ielle: quelles mé hodologies
adop e pou en egis e , a chi e e alo ise les données d’une eche che qui se doi de
eni comp e des impé a i s de l’ensemble des collec i s ? Quelle gou e nance des données
au och ones dans le cad e d’un p oje impliquan une elle di e si é d’in e locu eu s e
don ce aines inali és isen à alo ise aup ès des publics des musées les p a iques ex-
pe es de anne ie en PF ?
103
T ansme e g âce à des app oches c oisées
Ce e si ua ion s’exp ime conjoin emen aux p obléma iques de la ansmission des sa oi -
ai e, no ammen en aison de la ése e des jeunes géné a ions à s’implique dans ces
mé ie s pe çus comme manquan d’a ac i i é. En e e , la géné a ion des g ands-pa en s
a a o isé les pa cou s scolai es en inci an leu s en an s à é udie pou accéde à un mé i-
e e à un a eni plus acile que le leu . O , le p incipe de la ansmission des sa oi - ai e
adi ionnels es sou en in a amilial. Les a isans se son alo s ou és sans successeu s,
a ec un désin é ê de leu s p oches, agg a é pa des pénu ies écu en es de ma iè es
p emiè es.
Le p oje Ra a’a a donné ou e sa mesu e dans ce con ex e, en pe me an de eche che
des sa oi - ai e dispa us, mais su ou en soulignan , pou les a isans adi ionnels pa -
icipan , la nécessi é – pou ne pas di e l’u gence – de me e leu expe ise en commun
e ansme e leu sa oi - ai e a in que leu s c éa ions ne se e ou en un jou dans des
musées sans que pe sonne ne puisse e ou e le il de leu his oi e.
La PF es p obablemen à l’aube d’un ou nan dans ses modes de ansmission des sa oi -
ai e adi ionnels, ou nan opé é dans d’au es pays du Paci ique il y a une ing aine
d’années4: ace au isque de pe e des sa oi - ai e, les a isans adi ionnels on accep é de
ansme e aux jeunes qui souhai aien s’engage dans ces mé ie s, indépendammen d’un
lien amilial. Les a isans adi ionnels de PF se on peu -ê e amenés à ai e ces choix,
mais en a endan di e s p oje s de o ma ion son mis en œu e pou p ése e ce qui
peu l’ê e, main eni une di e si é des p a iques e lu e con e la spécialisa ion en cou s.
Ces p oje s pe me en égalemen de appele le lien a ec l’en i onnemen e de eme e
en aleu des plan es oubliées ou en oie de dispa i ion, qui son pou an nécessai es à la
p a ique de l’a isana .
On cons a e pa ailleu s à quel poin la p a ique de l’a isana en lien a ec les logiques
comme ciales e quo idiennes es de enue soli ai e. Les p oje s ans e saux acquiè en
ainsi une impo ance edoublée: ils me en en ela ion les a isans adi ionnels, pe -
me en de e eni à une app oche plus collec i e, en ichissan e, ou née e s la cul u e.
Chacune des expe es anniè es du p oje Ra a’a a ainsi app écié sa pa icipa ion qui a
pe mis echniquemen de décou i en dé ail les sa oi - ai e anciens dans la éalisa ion des
é en ails de Polynésie cen ale e o ien ale, ou en e enan à une p a ique collabo a i e,
e de éinsc i e celle-ci dans une adi ion millénai e, du sac é, p ésen dans les collec ions
du musée jusque dans les c éa ions con empo aines.
Musée e isibili é du pa imoine polynésien : enjeux e p a iques à déploye
Le p oje Ra a’a s’insc i dans une déma che de p oduc ions a is iques e echniques
adossée à un p oje de eche che anc é dans un musée du Paci ique. En an qu’ins i u ion
muséale, la conse a ion ma é ielle demeu e l’un des aspec s cen aux des ac i i és du
musée: l’équipe s’es ainsi in e ogée su la conse a ion des di é en s élémen s ma é i-
alisan les é apes echniques explo ées dans ce e en a i e de éapp op ia ion du essage
des é en ails.
Commen dé ini ces c i è es de sélec ion pou le dé eloppemen du p oje e pou une
ep ésen a i i é jus e an su le plan documen ai e que is-à- is des pa icipan s? La con
4 Communica ion pe sonnelle Hanalei Ma ques Ma zan à Vaiana Gi aud, 2024.
104
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
se a ion d’une documen a ion digi ale, e ec uée à pa i d’une sélec ion pe inen e de
ce ains échan illons physiques, ma queu s des é apes clés du p oje de eche che, doi -
elle ê e p i ilégiée ? Ces ques ions en oien égalemen aux suje s du s ockage des don-
nées an numé iques que ma é ielles, e au ôle de la numé isa ion documen ai e comme
ou il d’allègemen de ces aspec s echniques e de di usion acili ée. Ces p ocessus de
sélec ion, s’ils doi en s’opé e selon les p éconisa ions des p a iciennes anniè es e ê e
documen és pou eux-mêmes, n’obli è en pas la ques ion de la di usion u u e de ces
élémen s. La gou e nance des données p odui es pa les anniè es lo s de l’a elie Ra a’a
doi es e «en e leu s mains», qui e à en e en con adic ion a ec les injonc ions
d’ou e u e des données dé endues pa les ins i u ions de eche che e les musées (De
La gy Healy & Hein z, 2024).
L’ini ia i e d’un el p oje in e oge égalemen le s a u de l’a is e quan aux ésul a s i-
naux qui pou aien ê e emis au musée au e me de l’expé ience : s’agi -il de commandes
a is iques à acqué i e doi en -elles ê e in en o iées pa le musée?
Pa ailleu s, ce p oje pe me de me e en lumiè e une ques ion impo an e ela i e au
espec de la p op ié é in ellec uelle des sa oi s e sa oi - ai e des anniè es e implique
de dé ini plus inemen le con ex e ju idique e inancie de leu in e en ion. Ce e p ise
en comp e ju idique – in e ogean les suje s c uciaux de la gou e nance des données
au och ones, de la p op ié é in ellec uelle, oi e de b e e s dédiés à ce aines echniques
spéci iques – acili e ai le suje de la di usion ou non des «données» éunies lo s de ce
a elie . La dé ini ion d’un el cad e, en complémen des p incipes FAIR e CARE, se ai
une éponse à la o me de ension qui s’opè e aujou d’hui en e le ai de end e plus a -
ac i s les pa imoines insulai es ou en ga an issan un accès es ein à ce ains sa oi s
ése és aux communau és conce nées.
S’agissan du p oje Ra a’a, e a in de espec e no ammen les es ic ions des associa-
ions cul u elles, les essais echniques éalisés pa les anniè es, les échan illons e p épa-
a ions des ma é iaux son pou le momen conse és au sein du TFI-MTI sans di usion
ex e ne, ou comme les en egis emen s dé aillés (pho os, idéos, documen s éc i s) p o-
dui s du an le wo kshop.
En in, il con ien égalemen de s’in e oge su l’ou e u e de ce p oje à un co pus plus
é endu des collec ions en ib es égé ales du TFI-MTI, l’inclusion plus la ges d’expe ·e·s
e de communau és, ainsi qu’à d’au es o mes que l’é ude c oisée de echniques e sa-
oi - ai e nou ies de l’his oi e des ajec oi es e p o enances des collec ions pa imo-
niales dispe sées.
En oc ob e 2023, pa exemple, la modélisa ion d’un disposi i collabo a i d’é ude des col-
lec ions du musée s’es pou sui ie, a ec l’accueil d’une équipe de conse a eu s du Muse-
um o New Zealand–Te Papa Tonga ewa de Welling on (Te Papa), accompagnée d’une
déléga ion de onze a is es océaniennes de plusieu s égions du Paci ique, spécialis es de la
p a ique du apa (Mallon, 2023). L’objec i de ce e encon e, sous la di ec ion a is ique
du D Pauline Reynolds, é ai d’échange au ou de la p a ique, des é apes p éliminai es aux
echniques de ba age e de déco . Il s’agissai aussi de assemble ces a is es au ou de l’un
des ecueils d’échan illons de apa assemblés pa Alexande Shaw, collec és du an les ois
oyages de James Cook dans le Paci ique au 18e siècle, acquis en 2021 pa Te Papa e exposé
dans la salle empo ai e du TFI-MTI pendan les neu jou s du p oje . Ce ains échan illons,
acquis aux îles de la Socié é, e enaien pou la p emiè e ois dans l’a chipel.
105
É aien égalemen con iées l’a is e Hina ea Colombani (du cen e cul u el A ioi), les spé-
cialis es des adi ions o ales e no ammen du apa ma quisien Sa ah Vaki e Tu ana Te -
uanui-Pe e s, ainsi que des agen s des adi ions o ales de la DCP. En pa allèle, une isi e
au CMA a égalemen é é p og ammée e des a elie s de con ec ion on é é menés pou les
é udian s du cen e, ainsi que du DN-Made du LSR.
Chaque a is e expe é ai ainsi in i é à épond e au ecueil d’échan illons en éalisan
six pièces é oquan passé, p ésen e u u assemblés dans deux ballo s dis inc s, emis à
chacune des ins i u ions pa enai es. Du 14 oc ob e au 4 décemb e 2024, une exposi ion
de ces éalisa ions a é é o ganisée à la gale ie Adam (Welling on) e in i ulée «Vaiei Tu-
puna»5. Les commen ai es des isi eu s louaien la beau é, l’in o ma i i é, e le lien en e
his oi e e communau és de ce é énemen 6. Les p oduc ions emises au TFI-MTI se on
incluses dans un p oje cu a o ial à eni .
Conclusion
Mo eu de éapp op ia ion de collec ions pa imoniales, sa oi - ai e e echniques pa les
ac eu s con empo ains de la c éa ion a is ique, le p oje Ra a’a a pe mis de econsidé e
e enoue les liens cul u els é ablis de longue da e en e les popula ions d’a chipels dis-
inc s. La ans e sali é à l’œu e lo s de ce a elie a pe mis de ela i ise les pa icula -
ismes locaux a i més pa les ins i u ions de alo isa ion cul u elle e ou is ique depuis
le milieu des années 1970, a ibuan à chaque a chipel de PF des sa oi s echniques qua-
si-exclusi s. Le musée es de enu un lieu à in es i pa les expe s e les é udian s issus des
cul u es ayan p odui ces a é ac s. Ainsi, ceux du CMA, s’y essayen pa la ep oduc ion
de pièces anciennes, a ec succès.
Le dé eloppemen d’une eche che collabo a i e e mul i-si uée a pe mis de co-cons u-
i e une mé hode de a ail ainsi que des connaissances, qui on pou inali é d’ê e con-
se ées du ablemen , d’ê e accessibles e d’ê e u ilisées comme suppo s de nou elles
dynamiques muséologiques da an age plu ielles (Be ge on & Ri e , 2021). Les sa oi s
acquis su ces pa imoines océaniens conse és dans les musées o en une isibili é e-
nou elée de ces de nie s: ils pe me en de éac i e leu s ci cula ions, de mani es e leu
ca ac è e agissan e leu capaci é à isse des liens7 dans un con ex e local ayan ses spéc-
i ici és, ses pa adoxes pa ois. Ces dimensions comp en pa mi les missions cen ales d’un
musée du 21e siècle, en an que lieu d’ac ion collec i , a ec e pou la socié é.
Ré é ences
Be ge on, Y. & Ri e , M. (2021). The decolonisa ion o museology: Museums, mixing, and my hs
o o igin. ICOFOM S udy Se ies, 49(2).
Bono, M., Ma ic, T., Vallée, M., Teissie , V., Hiquily, T., Ga ien, M. (2022). Repense le musée de
Tahi i e des Îles – Te Fa e Manaha : genèse, his oi e, bilan e pe spec i es d’un p oje de
éno a ion. Jou nal de la Socié é des Océanis es, 155, 269-282.
Bou ie , H. (1982, Fé ie 11). In e iew. Nou elles de Tahi i.
Bunn, S. (2016). Making plan s and g owing baske s. Dans E. Hallam & T. Ingold (eds.), Making and
G owing. An h opological S udies o O ganisms and A e ac s (pp.163-182). Rou ledge.
De La gy Healy & J., Hein z, M. (Eds). (2024). Les dé is de la science ou e e. Une an h opologie en
pa age? numé o spécial, E hnologie F ançaise, 54.
5 h ps://www.adama galle y.nz/exhibi ions/a chi e/2024/ aiei- upuna, page consul é le 22 no emb e
2024.
6 Me ci à Sophie Tho n de nous a oi pa agé le con enu du li e d’o de la gale ie.
7 Communica ion de Souleymane Bachi Diagne-Chai e du Lou e 2024, «Quand les s a ues e les
masques pa laien la langue des dieux» 28 no emb e 2024.
112
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
is amed by i s own adi ional concep s and alues, i bo ows eely om he wes and
en husias ically akes up new and eme ging echnologies o achie e i s aims.
Ac oss he Tasman sea in Aus alia, meanwhile, Abo iginal and To es S ai Islande peo-
ples ha e been wo king inside and ou side he he i age sec o , adap ing museums o make
hem mo e esponsi e o Indigenous alues and cul u e while se ing up hei own indepen-
den s uc u es, called “keeping places” (G i in & Pa oissien, 2011; Spech & MacLulich,
2000; Simpson, 2007). Unde libe al go e nmen s in he 1970s, and a in e mi en imes
since, museums ha e se ou o engage wi h key Indigenous issues as pa o a wide poli ical
p ocess o “ econcilia ion”; including he epa ia ion o human emains, he se ing up o
keeping places, he hi ing o Abo iginal s a and appoin men s o boa ds, and he sensi i e
handling o sec e and sac ed ma e ial in museum collec ions. Howe e , he e ha e been
se backs in ecen yea s, pa icula ly unde conse a i e go e nmen s and he ailu e o he
e e endum o c ea e a Voice o Pa liamen (MacGui e, 2023).4
Ne e heless, s ong policy s a emen s success ully a icula ed Abo iginal ways o hinking
abou he i age, galle ies and museums as well as impo an con empo a y issues such as e-
pa ia ion, wi h he epo s P e ious Possessions, New Obliga ions (1993), and Con inuous
Cul u es, Ongoing Responsibili ies (2005) spelling ou wha museums should do.5 In e ms
o exhibi ion p ac ice, mos s a e museums ha e upda ed hei displays o Abo iginal ma e-
ial cul u e so as o be mo e in line wi h cu en hinking, a p ocess which necessi a ed mo e
o less communi y consul a ion and inpu , al hough he esul s a e a he mixed (Young,
Whi elaw, & Beie -de Haan, 2015).6 P obably he leading example o an Abo iginal exhibi
wi hin a mains eam museum is he Bunjilaka Abo iginal Cul u al Cen e a he Melbou ne
Museum, which ac i ely inco po a es local Koo i alues and pe spec i es.7
One ins i u ion which has made changes o e he las ew yea s is he Sou h Aus alian
Museum in Adelaide, whe e Head o An h opology John Ca y hi ed hei i s Abo iginal
cu a o and e-o ien ed co e p ac ices in an a emp o engage wi h local communi ies and
acknowledge Indigenous pe spec i es on hei cul u e (Daley, 2016, 2017). Fo Ca y, his
was no simply abou melding museum and Abo iginal p ac ices bu ying o lea n om a
comple ely di e en wo ld iew. I was “ e ela o y” o whi e museum p o essionals o e-
alise ha Abo iginal and To es-S ai Islande people a ound Aus alia ha e “ eally s ong
p e-exis ing models o he i age managemen ”, he poin ed ou . While he wes e n concep
o a museum b ings objec s oge he in a p o ec ed en i onmen like a building, in Indige-
nous cul u e “[ ]he museum is he landscape, he Coun y whe e sac ed objec s a e kep …
he challenge is o ake he b icks and mo a app oach o museums, and he dis inc ly Aus-
alian sense o Coun y, and ind a common language” (Ca y, 2015).
4 Fo a his o ical su ey, see: Museums Galle ies Aus alia. (2017). “Indigenous oadmap p ojec : Li e a u e
e iew.”h ps://www.amaga-indigenous.o g.au/_ iles/ugd/68e58 _2b510a56ec2a419daee268329c2e1cd8.pd
5 Fo c i ical commen a y on he i s epo , see T. Sulli an, L. Kelly & P. Go don. (2003).Museums
and Indigenous people in Aus alia: A e iew o P e ious Possessions, New Obliga ions. Cu a o : The
Museum Jou nal 46, 208–27.
6 When museums did explo e colonial iolence and ace ela ions hey ecei ed ha sh c i icism and
censu e. See D. McIn y e & K. Wehne . (Eds). (2001). Nego ia ing his o ies: Na ional museums: Con e ence
p oceedings. Na ional Museum o Aus alia.
7 Bunjilaka Abo iginal Cul u al Cen e, Melbou ne Museum websi e, h ps://museums ic o ia.
com.au/bunjilaka. Fo a e iew o he i s e sion o his display, which opened in 2000, see: M.G.
Simpson. (2006). Bunjilaka. In C. Healy & A. Wi comb. (Eds). Sou h Paci ic museums: Expe imen s in
cul u e. Monash Uni e si y eP ess, chap e 15, h p://books.publishing.monash.edu/apps/bookwo m/ iew/
Sou h+Paci ic+Museums%3A+Expe imen s+in+Cul u e/139/xh ml/chap e 15.h ml. Fo a posi i e e iew
o he second i e a ion o his exhibi , see: L. Young. (2014). Re iew: Fi s Peoples, Bunjilaka Abo iginal
Cul u al Cen e, Melbou ne Museum. Museum Wo lds: Ad ances in Resea ch 2, 213-16.
113
These commen s e lec a genuine e o o ans o m museological con en ions h ough
non-wes e n ways o being and doing. A con e ence in Canbe a in 2015 explo ed a i-
ous o ms o co-cu a ion, co-au ho ship and collabo a ion occu ing a ound Aus alia,
demons a ing clea ly ha he e is much goodwill on he pa o museum cu a o s and
o he p o essionals o do hings di e en ly (Edmundsen & Neale, 2017). Key lessons in-
cluded: he need o mo e consul a ions and collabo a ions o occu di ec ly on Coun y;
a call o museums o be e inco po a e Indigenous on ologies in o he ca e and man-
agemen o Indigenous collec ions; and mo e in-dep h esea ch on exis ing Indigenous
me hodologies o cul u al he i age p ese a ion and managemen . “I Wes e n ins i u ions
acknowledged ha museums a e no only a Wes e n idea bu ha Indigenous keeping
places p eda e hem and coexis wi h hem,” Anna Edmundson and Ma go Neale con-
cluded, “i would enable [I]ndigenous people o connec be e wi h museums and shi
he iew sugges ing ha museums a e s o e ooms o s olen loo ” (Edmundson and Neale,
2015, p. 133).
A key concep ha equen ly comes up in hese discussions and ha unde pins Fi s
Na ions he i age in Aus alian is “Coun y”. This is an o e all unde s anding o he uni-
e se ha includes people oge he wi h he na u al en i onmen ; animals, plan s, land,
sea, i e s and sky. Indigenous Aus alians see he ea h, c ea ed in he D eam ime by
ances o s, and he pas , p esen and u u e, as indi isible pa s o a huge, uni ed ealm.
I encompasses he pas and he p esen , human and non-human. This poem by La akia
woman Mililma May desc ibes how she unde s ands he Coun y:
Gulumoe gin | My coun y
Gulumoe gin is he ees, he ed di and blue seas.
Gulumoe gin is he sun, he moon and he s a s ha in ini ely su ound me.
Gulumoe gin is my amily, my people and my communi y.
Gulumoe gin is me.8
Despi e he ac ha his is a e y di e en wo ld iew, ocusing less on objec s han he
en i onmen hey a e pa o , i has ound i s way in o mains eam museum, a chi e
and en i onmen al managemen p ac ice in Aus alia. This is pa icula ly e iden in he
Ou back. Shaun Angelo, A e n e man and Indigenous Repa ia ion Resea che a he
S ehlow Resea ch Cen e in he No he n Te i o y, alks abou aking collec ions back
ou o Coun y o e i e ce emonial p ac ices and heal he gene a ional auma o you h
se e ed om hei cul u e by colonisa ion and u banisa ion. The Cen e is now closely
engaged wi h he communi y, and elde s eel com o able coming in o wo k wi h he col-
lec ions and ac i a e hem in he p esen . He a gues, “People and objec s ha e been sep-
a a ed, hey need o be e-in eg a ed” (Angelo, 2018). Meanwhile in he na ional capi al,
Canbe a, he Na ional Museum o Aus alia has inco po a ed Coun y in o he concep
de elopmen o i s en i onmen al his o y exhibi ion G ea Sou he n Land.9 Alongside
wes e n scien i ic iews o he en i onmen , pain ings and o he objec s and p ac ices con-
ey Indigenous knowledge. As he wall ex s a es, “Mo e and mo e people a e using he
wo d Coun y o exp ess ecogni ion o Indigenous peoples’ connec ion wi h hei land
and o he in e ela ionship all human beings ha e wi h he es o na u e” (Na ional
Museum o Aus alia, 2024).
Jilda And ews, he Abo iginal academic and cu a o in ol ed wi h his exhibi ion, has
also alked abou b inging Indigenous ideas in o collec ion managemen h ough he con-
8 h ps://www.commong ound.o g.au/a icle/wha -is-coun y
9 h ps://www.nma.go .au/exhibi ions/g ea -sou he n-land
114
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
cep o “cool bu ning”. “I seems logical o apply me hods o ending o Coun y o mu-
seum collec ions – o end o hem. Ca e o hem,” she w i es (2024a). Jus as Abo iginal
people use i e o manage he land and p e en bush i es, so a me apho ical cool bu ning
o cleaning/ac i a ion/ egene a ion o he collec ion h ough esea ch also c ea es space in
which “new shoo s o knowledge can eme ge”, econnec ing objec s o communi ies and
pu ing hem o wo k in he p esen . This shows he “ egene a i e po en ials o collec ion
esea ch when Indigenous philosophies and concep s d i e esea ch enqui y and mo e
impo an ly, ame ou comes” (And ews, 2024b).
Māo i museology: Cus oma y concep s eshaping museum p ac ice in
Ao ea oa
Ao ea oa NZ is he smalles bu , in some ways, he mos dis inc i e case s udy in his
esea ch – he scene o ad anced expe imen s in Indigenous museology a guably ahead o
i s neighbou Aus alia, pe haps due mo e o geog aphy and demog aphy han poli ical
will.10 Museums o e he las 50 yea s ha e wi nessed an inc ease in Māo i s a and he
e olu ion o a Māo i s yle o museum policy and p ac ice ha inco po a es cus oma y
knowledge and alues (McCa hy, 2007).11 Māo i concep s, closely ela ed o hose used
in he wide Moana Oceania, ha e become embedded in museum cu a ion, collec ion ca e
and managemen : aonga (ances al easu e), mana (powe , au ho i y, epu a ion), apu
and noa (sac ed, es ic ed, ee om es ic ion), mau i ( i al essence, ene gy), whakapa-
pa (genealogy, ela edness).12 These concep s a e applied h ough ikanga (Māo i cul u al
p ac ices) and mā au anga Māo i (Māo i knowledge/wo ld iew). A he na ional muse-
um in Welling on, Te Papa, and a egional museums in Auckland, Gisbo ne, Whanganui
and o he cen es, Māo i-led changes in go e nance, managemen , policy, educa ion, e-
pa ia ion and conse a ion ha e ans o med aspec s o p o essional p ac ice and led
o museological amalgams o Eu opean and Polynesian cul u e (McCa hy, 2011; Bu s,
2007; Tapsell, 2014; McCa hy, Pa a a & Sadlie , 2024).
A Te Papa, he cus oma y concep o mana has been linked wi h aonga, esul ing in a
policy (mana aonga) ha cap u es he powe o hese objec s bu also enables Indigenous
owne ship and managemen . Mana aonga allows museums o de elop a “s uc u ed
p ocess o engagemen wi h i s communi ies” by ecognising he “li ing ela ionships” be-
ween aonga and hei communi ies o o igin (Hakiwai & Scho ch, 2014, pp. 197-198).
Mana aonga gi es iwi ( ibes) he “ igh o de ine how aonga wi hin Te Papa should be
ca ed o and managed in acco dance wi h hei ikanga o cus om” (Nesus, 2004, p. 14).
The e o e, he communi y ou side he museum becomes a pa icipan wi hin he museum
alongside p o essionals and, in many cases, supplan s hei au ho i y. Recen ly Awhina
Tama apa has a gued ha cul u al p ac i ione s, such as wea e s and ca e s, should
assume he au ho i y o managing collec ions, econnec ing his o ical a i ac s wi h he
ongoing main enance o hese li ing a s and c a s (Tama apa, 2024).
The mana aonga policy, hough deba ed by some, has been ex ended success ully o o h-
e collec ions in Te Papa –such as a , his o y and Paci ic cul u es –and o o he museums
in NZ and o e seas (Do man e al., 2015; Hakiwai e al., 2015). O iginally seen as a
way o empowe ing Māo i co-managemen o aonga Māo i collec ions in NZ museums,
10 Unlike Aus alia, Māo i make up a signi ican p opo ion o he popula ion, e lec ed in g ea e
poli ical ep esen a ion and a highe p o ile in na ional economic, social and cul u al li e. See: Te Ahuka amū
Cha les Royal. (2005). Māo i. Te A a: The Encyclopedia o New Zealand. h ps:// ea a.go .nz/en/mao i.
11 Fo an o e iew o museums in NZ, see: McCa hy, 2015.
12 Fo an o e iew o hese cus oma y concep s, see: Mead, 2003.
115
i has been ex ended o acili a e he collabo a ion o all sou ce communi ies in he man-
agemen and use o hei cul u al he i age (Benning on, 2004; Mallon, 2011). Mo eo e ,
he no ion o aonga has been ex ended beyond ma e ial “a e ac s” o a ange o angible
and in angible ma e ial held in di e en ypes o collec ing ins i u ions – galle ies, lib a -
ies, a chi es and museums – as well as cul u al and na u al he i age managed by a ious
o ganisa ions: ilm, pho og aphs, manusc ip s, o al and pe o ming a s, landscapes, lo a
and auna. The di e si y and complexi y o aonga, and he challenges equi ed o manage
hem, a e desc ibed in he Wai angi T ibunal epo WAI 262 (Ko Ao ea oa Tēnei, 2011)
on he i age and in ellec ual p ope y, which has ye o be se iously add essed by go e n-
men and public ins i u ions, especially he exed ques ion o owne ship.
F om heo y o p ac ice in Ao ea oa: Museums o he i age, objec s o cul-
u al landscapes
I u n now o ecen examples o kai iaki anga ha show how Māo i concep s, wo ld iews
and ways o being ha e been applied in p ac ice. These examples, ca alysed by decolonisa-
ion, indigenisa ion and ecological c ises, also show how his has con e ed he adi ional
no ion o he museum as a wa ehouse se apa om he social in o a communi y hub wi hin
a b oade ange o he i age encompassing cul u al p ac ices and cul u al landscapes. The
i s example is he wo k o D Huhana Smi h, Ngā i Raukawa academic, a is and en i-
onmen alis . Smi h le he job as a cu a o a Te Papa because he ins i u ion was oo slow
and oo disconnec ed om he wo ld ou side, pa icula ly na u al he i age (Smi h, 2009).
She sough a mechanism mo e closely engaged wi h he land whe e knowledge ans e was
less bu eauc a ic and es ic ed. Wo king om a uni e si y, she acili a ed a majo in e -
disciplina y esea ch g an ocused on he ibal lands on he Ho owhenua o Kāpi i coas
h ea ened wi h inunda ion – Manaaki Taha Moana: Enhancing Coas al Ecosys ems o
Iwi and Hapū – which combined scien i ic esea ch and mā au anga Māo i, scien is s and
a me s, culmina ing in a design exhibi ion on clima e ac ion moun ed in he local lib a y,
an a and cul u al cen e and he cow shed on he ibe’s a m (Allan & Smi h, 2017).
The me hodology included econnec ing wi h he whenua (in Māo i e ms, whenua is he
land bu also he placen a ha is e u ned o he ea h a e bi h) by “walking and alking
he whenua, e u ning he a m o na u e, and le ing he i e (an ances o ) be an ances-
o ” (Smi h, 2024). The esea ch eam d ew on he concep o whakapapa and mau i, and
kaupapa Māo i me hodology, alongside a , design, science, e c., o enhance public unde -
s anding o clima e change and o explo e adap a ion s a egies, be e decision‐making and
be e ac ions o communi ies. Since hen, Smi h has led p ojec s in clima e adap ion s a -
egies, e-a o es a ion and e ege a ion, i e and we land es o a ion, e c. (Smi h, 2024).
These ha e inspi ed o he iwi o emba k on simila p ojec s o econnec hei people o he
en i onmen and engage hem in clima e ac ion. An example is he Ngā i Toa p ojec Te
A a o Raukawa Moana, desc ibed as “ac i e kai iaki anga in esponse o clima e change”,
which included an exhibi ion a Pā aka A + Museum in Po i ua.13
The lesson he e is ha hese p ojec s achie ed wha a museum pe haps could no . Indeed,
Indigenous people may e y well abandon he museum i i canno adap and become a
echnology o ac i e use in iwi/hapū de elopmen and igh ing he clima e eme gency. Mu-
seums, he e o e, need o see hemsel es in a wide ame, as pa o he b oade he i age
sec o o which hey a e me ely a subse . Objec s and collec ions need o be econnec ed
13 Fo he epo on his p ojec see he websi e o Te Runanga o Nga i Toa. h ps://s a ic1.squa espace.
com/s a ic/61a403b442b8840d9ed2143a/ /67859e193eb6c540e18eb789/1736810085798/TOA00000_
Te+A a+O+Raukawa+Moana_Jou nal_VDA1.1.pd
116
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
o cul u al o ances al landscapes om which hey we e excised, he eby econnec ing
people o he en i onmen . Museum echnologies (collec ions, exhibi ions, p og ammes)
need o be employed in social and clima e ac i ism. Asked in a ecen in e iew how mu-
seums can be e suppo clima e ac ion, Smi h esponded:
Maybe Te Papa’s no he place. The mos impac ul exhibi ion I’ e e e done
was he one in he dai y shed. Tha [engaged] a lo o people [who] wen , “Ok,
we’ e in. Now we unde s and.” And his [included] loads o my de ac ing
whanaunga (cousins), hose who didn’ wan o know abou clima e change
and i s impac s. ... When we pu up he ini ial maps, his is wha i is going
o look like in 20, 50 and 100 yea s in e ms o wa e , e e yone wen , “Ok,
we’ e lis ening now.” Those maps we e based on he bes da a, and we’ e go
people o pu i in o isuals. So isuals, isuals, isuals. Keep showing people.
E e y hing’s a mind map and e e y hing is connec ed. Māo i wo ld iews a e
e y in e connec ed, we see he in e dependencies. I hink ha museums and
galle ies ha e a esponsibili y o do his s u . I don’ wan o play poli ics o
be sa e. I hink, jus show hem. ... Show eally compelling s u in su p ising
spaces. ... Don’ shy away om he di icul [aspec s]. (Smi h, 2024)
The nex example shows how a museum can wo k wi h Indigenous communi ies o ex-
p ess hei iews o he wo ld and acili a e hei ole in en i onmen al es o a ion. The
Whanganui Regional Museum Te Puni Tiaki Taonga o Whanganui14, a small ins i u ion
wi h a unique bicul u al go e nance s uc u e and deep ela ionships wi h iwi and hapū,
s aged an exhibi ion in 2022 ha cap u ed he ema kable e en s su ounding he legis-
la i e ecogni ion o he pe sonhood and inna e alues o he Whanganui Ri e . To local
people, he i e is Te Awa Tupua, a li ing ances o who has been despoiled and neglec ed
h ough colonial his o y, legisla i e ac ions and inac ions, as well as en i onmen al deg-
ada ion. Whanganui iwi ecen ly se led hei claim o e Te Ti i i o Wai angi b eaches, so
he ela ionships wi h cen al and local go e nmen now ecognise he igh s o he Ri -
e and Whanganui hapū, including he asse ion o iaki anga, pa icipa ion in decision
making, and en i onmen al es o a ion ac i i ies (Lu gio, 2019).15
All his is cap u ed in a small exhibi ion a he museum, which was co-cu a ed wi h
Whanganui iwi and hapū, he mos isible public s a emen o his ex ao dina y ou -
come. Called He Awa O a16 (“A li ing i e ”) i con eys he in insic ela ionship be ween
he people and he i e encapsula ed in he whaka auākī o p o e b: “Ko au e awa, ko
e awa ko au / I am he i e and he i e is me”. As well as his o ical a i ac s, documen-
a ion o he long- unning claim and he s a u o y acknowledgemen o he ances o - i e ,
pho os and ideo show how people li e on/wi h he i e oday and gi e isi o s a clea -
idea o how ac i e iaki anga o s ewa dship wo ks, allaying any ea s o sepa a ism. The
exhibi also highligh s wha hey can do o look a e he awa and educe hei ca bon
oo p in . A ema kable opog aphic map shows he wide i e sys em, wi h nume ous
si es ma king ma ae, kāinga, ba le si es, e c., illus a ing g aphically he close ances al
14 h ps://w m.o g.nz
15 Fo he pa ne ship be ween he Whanganui Dis ic Council and Māo i see: “Whanganui council
signs o on ‘wo ld- i s ’ d a ela ionship ag eemen wi h hapū,” Radio New Zealand, 29 Janua y 2025:
e ie ed 11 Ma ch 2025: h ps://www. nz.co.nz/news/ e-manu-ko ihi/540303/whanganui-council-signs-o -
on-wo ld- i s -d a - ela ionship-ag eemen -wi h-hapu. In 2025 M Ta anaki also gained legal pe sonhood.
See: E a Co le , “Ta anaki Mounga: New Zealand moun ain g an ed same legal igh s as a pe son,” The
Gua dian 30 Janua y 2025.
16 h ps://www.heawao a.mao i.nz
117
links o he land and wa e .
The exhibi ion, hough modes in scale, con eys o isi o s he adical on ological shi
ha b eaks down he na u e/cul u e di ide and sees he awa as a li ing being inex icably
en wined wi h he people. The cu a o (o Pou Rauhī) is D Rāwi i Tini au, who leads
a Kaupapa Māo i esea ch ins i u e, Te A awhai o Te Ao, conduc ing esea ch on heal h
and en i onmen , and who sees his wo k a he museum as a na u al ex ension o com-
muni y de elopmen . He says ha aonga a e “li ing beings”. Taonga includes “ e eo,
ou language, ikanga o cul u al p ac ices… no jus old a i ac s bu hings made o-
day,” and, o cou se he na u al wo ld (Tini au, 2022).17 The exhibi ion may look a i s
glance o be ai ly con en ional, bu i is no . Fo example, one small change in museum
p ac ice e lec s a adically di e en pe spec i e o ma e ial cul u e as li ing objec -beings.
The labels a e no w i en in hi d pe son, he ypical de ached iew o he “ hing” by
he cu a o (e.g. “ his is a aiaha”), bu in i s pe son, a di ec s a emen om he poin
o iew o he aonga (“I am a aiaha”). Wo lds ha a e apa a e b ough oge he in
a sho 25-wo d objec label. This e lec s an iwi maxim, “Kauaka e kō e o mō e Awa,
kō e o ki e Awa / Don’ alk abou he Ri e , bu speak o he Ri e ”. I is also inspi ed by
Te Pou Tupua, he human ace and oice o Te Awa Tupua,18 which is o malised wi hin
se lemen legisla ion.
Conclusion: Lea ning om Paci ic museologies
The lessons om Sou h Paci ic museums and communi y-led p ojec s beyond he walls
o he museum se e o illus a e some o he implica ions o island hinking o global
museology. In some ways, oceanic museology is unique, and while local inno a ions we e
occasionally e e enced in in e na ional li e a u e on a , epa ia ion and communi y
pa icipa ion (Hakiwai, 1990; Mead, 1990; O’Regan, 1994), in he main hey we e un e-
la ed o global de elopmen s, no well documen ed, and he esul s could no necessa ily
be eplica ed elsewhe e. Now and hen Paci ic museology ound i s way in o in e na ional
deba es on conse a ion, decolonisa ion and ela ed issues, and dis up ed he hegemony
o he global no h (Cla i , 2002; Simpson, 1996). In ecen yea s, o example, se e al
people wi h connec ions o Te Papa and he Paci ic con ibu ed o he shaping o he new
ICOM de ini ion o he museum, an expansi e and bold e hinking o he ins i u ion ha
was ul ima ely wa e ed down o some hing mo e cau ious and con en ional (Sandahl,
2019). Ne e heless, hese ea ly expe imen s ha eme ged om Moana Oceania may
open up ui ul a enues o he museum o he u u e in in eg a ing cul u e/na u e, in
communi y-led clima e ac i ism, in in e disciplina y, ela ional amewo ks and he use
o Indigenous concep s and p ac ices.
Nicholas Thomas (2016) has asked, Wha a e museums good o in he 21s cen u y? In
a wo ld h ea ened by en i onmen al collapse and i en by con lic and poli ical di i-
sion, he ask be o e us is immense (Janes, 2024). We should explo e al e na i e means
o con on he challenge, including island ways o doing hings. The answe p esen ed
he e is ha , inspi ed by Indigenous ways o being, doing and hinking, museums p o ide
a echnology o econnec people o hei cul u e, o o he people, and he wo ld a ound
hem. The museum is a me hodology o b ing oge he he pas , p esen and u u e. Sal-
17 Rāwi i Tini au (2022). In e iew by Conal McCa hy, MHST502 Vic o ia Uni e si y o Welling on,
Augus . Fo an in oduc ion o he exhibi ion, see he Whanganui Regional Museum websi e.
h ps://w m.o g.nz/wa ch- i e -exhibi ion-wins-a chi ec u e-awa d/
18 h ps://www. epou upua.nz/
118
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
mond w o e, “I is possible o see he links be ween human communi ies, land and sea, as
pa e ned by complex, mul i-dimensional, dynamic sys ems in which people a e ela ed o
o he li e o ms, as ou a es a e ied oge he ” (2018, p. 414). To sa egua d ou he i age,
we ha e o sa e he plane and ou sel es, and he peoples o Moana Oceania ha e shown
he way.
Re e ences
And ews, J. (2024a). Cool bu ning he collec ion: Museum esea ch as a egene a i e ac . The
Aus alian Jou nal o An h opology. h ps://doi.o g/10.1111/ aja.12499
And ews, J. (2024b). Flipping he na a i e: His o ical collec ions as si es o cul u al diplomacy.
Humani ies Resea ch 20(1): 13-27.
Angelo, S. (2018). Ayeaye digi al-kenhe a n a n a eme: P o ec ing ou digi al cul u al he i age.
Keyno e Na ional Digi al Fo um, Te Papa, Welling on.
Benning on, S. (2004). Te Papa: P oduc , and agen , o change. Te A a 29(1), 9-11.
Bol on, L. (2003). The objec in iew; Abo igines, Melanesians, and museums. In L. Pee s & A.
K. B own (Eds.), Museums and sou ce communi ies: A Rou ledge eade (pp. 42-54).
Rou ledge.
Bu s, D. (2007). Mao i, museums, and he ea y o Wai angi: The changing poli ics o ep esen-
a ion and con ol. In S. J. Knell, S. Wa son, & S. MacLeod (Eds.), Museum e olu ions:
How museums change and a e changed (pp. 215-227). Rou ledge.
B ulon Soa es, B. (2023).Nou elle muséologie. In F. Mai esse (ed.). Dic iona y o museology
(pp. 388-391).Rou ledge.
Ca y, J. (2015). Museums mus lea n om Indigenous museum models. Aus alian Na ional
Uni e si y. h ps://cass.anu.edu.au/news/museums-mus -lea n-indigenous-museum-mod-
els
Cla i , M. (2002). P ese ing wha is alued: Museums, conse a ion, and i s na ions. Uni e si-
y o B i ish Columbia P ess.
Con inuous cul u es, ongoing esponsibili ies: A comp ehensi e policy documen and guidelines
o Aus alian museums wo king wi h Abo iginal and To es S ai Islande cul u al he -
i age.(2005). Canbe a: AIATSIS, e ie ed 3 May 2025: h ps://aia sis.go .au/collec ions/
i em/ 000025224703
Daley, P. (2016, Sep embe 2An Indigenous cu a o o Indigenous a e ac s: Sou h Aus alia
b eaks new g ound. The Gua dian.
Daley, P. (2017, Ma ch 3). Reuni ing Indigenous ‘s icks’ wi h hei s o ies: The museum on a
mission o gi e back. The Gua dian. h ps://www. hegua dian.com/aus alia-news/2017/
ma /04/ euni ing-indigenous-s icks-wi h- hei -s o ies- he-museum-on-a-mission- o-gi e-
back
de Villie s, A. (2021). A chi es and Indigenous cul u al cen es o he oceanic egion. [Doc o al
hesis, Uni e si y o Monash] A chi es and In o ma ion Managemen .
Edmundson, A. & Nea, M. (2015). Con e ence epo : Re u n o he na i e: Con es a ion, col-
labo a ion, and co-au ho ship in museum apaces, Aus alian Na ional Uni e si y.Muse-
um Wo lds: Ad ances in Resea ch, 5, 128-33.
G i in, D. & Pa oissien, L. (eds.). (2011).Unde s anding museums: Aus alian museums and
museology. Na ional Museum o Aus alia. nma.go .au/ esea ch/unde s anding-muse-
ums/ ISBN 978-1-876944-92-6
Hakiwai, A. (1990). Once again he ligh o day: Museums and Mao i cul u e in New Zealand.
Museum, 42(1), 42-44.
Hakiwai, A. (2014). He Mana Taonga, He Mana Tanga a: Māo i aonga and he poli ics o
Māo i ibal iden i y and de elopmen . [Doc o al hesis, Vic o ia Uni e s iy o Welling-
on]. Museum and He i age S udies.
Hauo a, E. (1994). Ou sea o islands. The Con empo a y Paci ic. 6(1), 148-61.
Hauo a, E. (1998). The Ocean in Us. The Con empo a y Paci ic 10(2), 392-410.
Janes, R. R. (2024). Museums and socie al collapse: The museum as li eboa . Rou ledge.
Ka‘ili, T. O., Māhina, O.,, & Addo, P.-A. (eds.). (2017). In oduc ion: Tā- ā ( ime-space): The
bi h o an Indigenous Moana heo y. Paci ic S udies, 40(1–2), 1-17.
K eps, C. (2003). Libe a ing cul u e: C oss-cul u al pe spec i es on museums, cu a ion, and he i-
age p ese a ion. Rou ledge.
K eps, C. (2008). App op ia e museology in heo y and p ac ice. Museum Managemen and Cu-
a o ship, 23(1), 23-41.
Lu gio, J. (2019, 29 No embe ). Sa ing he Whanganui: Can pe sonhood escue a i e ? The
119
Gua dian. h ps://www. hegua dian.com/wo ld/2019/no /30/sa ing- he-whanganui-can-
pe sonhood- escue-a- i e
Ly hbe g, B., Nga a, W., & Hogsden, C. (2017). Rela ional sys ems and ancien u u es: Co-c e-
a ing a digi al con ac ne wo k in heo y and p ac ice. In B. Onciul, M. L. S e ano, & S.
Hawke (Eds.), Engaging he i age, engaging communi ies (pp. 205-225). Boydell P ess.
MacGui e, A. (2023, 14 Oc obe ). “Explaine : Aus alia has o ed agains an Indigenous oice
o pa liamen . He e’s wha happened,” The Con e sa ion. h ps:// hecon e sa ion.com/
explaine -aus alia-has- o ed-agains -an-indigenous- oice- o-pa liamen -he es-wha -hap-
pened-215155
Makua i-A i u, T. & Ua ā Māhina-Tuai, K. (2025). Decolonising and indigenising museums and
a chi es: How Lagi-Maama media es pas , p esen and u u e h ough i s wo k wi h
Moana Oceania diaspo a communi ies. Museum His o y Jou nal 18(2): o hcoming.
Mead, S. M. (1983). Indigenous models o museums in Oceania. Museum, 35(139), 98-101.
Mead, S. M. (1990). T ibal a as symbols o iden i y. In A. Hanson & L. Hanson (Eds.), A and
iden i y in Oceania (pp. 269-281). Uni e si y o Hawai’i P ess.
Mead, S. M. (1993). The main enance o he i age in a ou h wo ld con ex : The Mao i case. In
P. Da k, and R. Rose (Eds.), A is ic he i age in a changing Paci ic (pp. 223-31). Uni e -
si y o Hawai’i P ess.
Mead, S. M. (2003). Tikanga Mao i: Li ing by Mao i alues. Huia.
McCa hy, C. (2007). Exhibi ing Māo i: A his o y o colonial cul u es o display. Be g.
McCa hy, C. (2011). Museums and Māo i: He i age p o essionals, Indigenous collec ions, cu -
en p ac ice. Te Papa P ess.
McCa hy, C. (2015a). Museums. Te A a - he Encyclopedia o New Zealand. Minis y o Cul-
u e and He i age. h p://www.TeA a.go .nz/en/museums
McCa hy, C. (2015b). His o icising he ‘Indigenous in e na ional: Museums, an h opology, and
anspaci ic ne wo ks. In E. Du & P. Scho ch (Eds.), T ansPaci ic Ame icas: Encoun e s
and engagemen s be ween he Ame icas and he Sou h Paci ic (pp. 3-26). Rou ledge.
McCa hy, C. (2019). Indigenisa ion. In S. Knell (Ed.), The con empo a y museum: Shaping mu-
seums o he global now (pp. 37-54). Rou ledge.
McCa hy, C., Scho ch, P., & Hakiwai, A. (2019). The igu e o he kai iaki: Lea ning om
Māo i cu a o ship pas and p esen . In C. McCa hy & P. Scho ch (Eds.), Cu a opia:
Museums and he u u e o cu a o ship (pp. 211-226). Manches e Uni e si y P ess.
McCa hy, C. (2023). The new museology. In F. Mai esse (Ed.), The ICOM Dic iona y o Muse-
ology (pp. 383-386). Rou ledge.
McCa hy, C., Pa a a, M., & Sadlie , L. (2024). Kai iaki anga: Māo i collec ion managemen in
Ao ea oa New Zealand. In C. K mpo ich & A. S e enson (Eds.), Collec ions manage-
men : A c i ical museum p ac ice (pp. 271-288). UCL P ess.
McCa hy, C., Ly hbe g, B., & Salmond, A. (2019). In oduc ion o Te Ao Hou T ans o ming
wo lds: Kinship as p ac ical on ology. Jou nal o he Polynesian Socie y, 128(1), 7-16.
McCa hy, C., & Tama apa, A. (2022). Teaching a mas e ’s cou se on museums and Māo i: De-
colonising and indigenising museum s udies in Ao ea oa New Zealand. In K. B own, A.
S. González Rueda, & B. B ulon Soa es (Eds.), Decolonising he cu iculum 3, 67-79.
ICOFOM In e na ional Commi ee o Museology.
O’Regan, S. (1994). Mao i con ol o he Mao i he i age. In D. Lowen hal & P. Ga he cole
(Eds.), The poli ics o he pas (pp. 98-106). Rou ledge.
P e ious possessions, new obliga ions: Policies o museums in Aus alia and Abo iginal and
To es S ai Islande peoples. (1993). Melbou ne: Council o Aus alian Museum Asso-
cia ions.
Me zge , J. (2022). Mau i and museums: Who eally ca es? The ensions be ween kai iaki anga
and museology. [Doc o al hesis, Uni e si y o O ago]. Māo i S udies.
Me zge , J. (2026). Mau i and museum p ac ice. In C. McCa hy, M. Ho wood, A. Tama apa,
& K. Mahina-Tuai (eds). Tanga a whenua and anga a i i i: In e cul u al he i age in
Ao ea oa New Zealand. Palg a e, o hcoming.
Nesus, C. (2004). Making he connec ion: Bicul u alism a wo k. Te A a: Jou nal o Museums
Ao ea oa, 29(1), 12-15.
Rameka, L. (2017). Kia whaka omu i e hae e whakamua: ‘I walk backwa ds in o he u u e
wi h my eyes ixed on my pas ’. Con empo a y Issues in Ea ly Childhood, 17(4), 387–
398.
Sandahl, J. (2019). The museum de ini ion as he backbone o ICOM.Museum In e na ion-
al,71(1–2), i–9. h ps://doi.o g/10.1080/13500775.2019.1638019
Salmond, Ami ia. (2014). T ans o ming ansla ions (pa 2): Add essing on ological al e i y.
Hau: Jou nal o E hnog aphic Theo y, 4(1). h ps://www.haujou nal.o g/index.php/hau/
120
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
a icle/ iew/hau4.1.006/647
Salmond, Anne. (2023). Knowledge is a blessing on you mind: Selec ed w i ings, 1980-2020.
Auckland Uni e si y P ess.
Salmond, Anne. (2017). Tea s o Rangi: Expe imen s ac oss wo lds. Auckland Uni e si y P ess.
Scho ch, P. (2019). Re ocusing e hnog aphic museums h ough Oceanic lenses. Hawai’i Uni e si-
y P ess.
S anley, N. (Ed.) (2007). The u u e o Indigenous museums: Pe spec i es om he Sou hwes
Paci ic. Be ghan Books.
Simpson, M. G. (1996). Making ep esen a ions: Museums in he pos -colonial e a. Rou ledge.
Simpson, M. G. (2007). Cha ing he bounda ies: Indigenous models and pa allel p ac ices in he
de elopmen o he pos -museum. In S. J. Knell, S. MacLeod, & S. Wa son (Eds.), Muse-
um e olu ions: How museums change and a e changed (pp. 235-249). Rou ledge.
Smi h, B. (1989). Eu opean ision and he Sou h Paci ic (second edi ion). Ox o d Uni e si y
P ess.
Smi h, H. (2024, Ma ch). P esen a ion o ICOFOM wo kshop [Con e ence P esen a ion]. Vic o-
ia Uni e si y o Welling on.
Smi h, H. (2024). In e iew by Awhina Tama apa. In C. McCa hy, M. Ho wood, A. Tama apa,
& K. Mahina-Tuai (eds). Tanga a whenua and anga a i i i: In e cul u al he i age in
Ao ea oa New Zealand. Palg a e, o hcoming 2026.
Spech , J., & MacLulich, C. (2000). Changes and challenges: The Aus alian museum and Indig-
enous communi ies. In P. M. McManus (Ed.), A chaeological displays and he public:
Museology and in e p e a ions (2nd ed., pp. 39-63). A che ype.
Tama apa, A. (2024). Wha ua Mai e Aho: The ole o museums in he main enance o Māo i
wea ing as a li ing cul u al p ac ice. [Doc o al hesis, Vic o ia Uni e si y o Welling on],
Museum and He i age S udies.
Tamasese Ta‛isi E i, T. (2018). P elude: Clima e change and he pe spec i e o he ish. In T.
C ook, & P. Rudiak-Gould (Eds.) Paci ic clima e cul u es: Li ing clima e change in Oce-
ania. De G uy e (pp. ix-xiii).
Taonui, R. (2011). Whakapapa – genealogy: Wha is whakapapa? Te A a: The Encyclopedia o
New Zealand. h p://www.TeA a.go .nz/en/whakapapa-genealogy/page-1
Tapsell, P. (2014). Māo i and museums: Ngā wha e aonga. Te A a: The Encyclopedia o New
Zealand. h ps:// ea a.go .nz/en/mao i-and-museums-nga-wha e- aonga
Tapsell, P. (1997). The ligh o Pa e au u u: An in es iga ion o aonga om a ibal pe spec i e.
Jou nal o he Polynesian Socie y, 106(4), 323-374.
Thomas, N. (1997). In Oceania: Visions, a i ac s, his o ies. Duke Uni e si y P ess.
Thomas, N. (2016). The e u n o cu iosi y: Wha museums a e good o in he 21s cen u y.
Reak ion Books.
Tiaki Taonga. (2011). Ko Ao ea oa enei: WAI 262 Repo . Wai 262. h ps://www.wai262.nz/
ko-ao ea oa- enei
Young, L., Whi elaw, A., & R.Beie -de Haan, R. (2015). Museum exhibi ion p ac ice: Recen de-
elopmen s in Eu ope, Canada, and Aus alia. In C. McCa hy (Ed.), Museum p ac ice,
ol 2 In e na ional handbooks o museum s udies (pp. 403-42). Wiley Blackwell.
121
Paci ic museums and cul u al cen e s:
Rede ining & indigenizing museum spaces
he Paci ic way
Ta isi Vunidilo
Cali o nia S a e Uni e si y, Los Angeles
[email p o ec ed]
Abs ac
Paci ic Island museums, once shaped by colonial models and ou is
demands, a e now ans o ming o se e local communi ies and u u e
gene a ions. This shi e lec s an indigeniza ion o he museum concep ,
whe e impo ed amewo ks a e ede ined h ough local needs. Museums
a e becoming spaces o cul u al nego ia ion and eposi o ies o skills,
knowledge, and iden i y. D awing on case s udies om my wo k wi h he
Paci ic Island Museums Associa ion, his pape explo es how museums a e
add essing challenges such as poli ical cons ain s, geog aphic isola ion,
and gene a ional gaps o main ain cul u al ansmission and p o ide
meaning ul, communi y-cen e ed engagemen oday and in o he u u e.
Keywo ds: Indigenizing, colonialism, knowledge ansmission, cul u al
gaps, you h empowe men
Résumé
Musées e cen es cul u els du Paci ique : edé ini e au och onise les
espaces muséaux à la maniè e du Paci ique. Les musées des îles du Paci ique,
au e ois açonnés pa des modèles coloniaux e axés su le ou isme, se
ans o men aujou d’hui pou mieux se i les communau és locales e les
géné a ions u u es. Ce changemen e lè e une indigénisa ion du concep
muséal, où des cad es impo és son éin e p é és selon les besoins locaux.
Les musées de iennen ainsi des espaces de négocia ion cul u elle e des
ése oi s de sa oi s, de compé ences e d’iden i és. En m’appuyan su des
é udes de cas issues de mon a ail a ec l’Associa ion des musées des îles
du Paci ique, ce a icle explo e commen ces ins i u ions elè en les dé is
con empo ains pou assu e la ansmission cul u elle.
Mo s-clés: Au och onisa ion, colonialisme, ansmission des sa oi s, éca s
cul u els, au onomisa ion des jeunes
_____
In his day and age o clima e change, echnology, and decoloniza ion, s ides a e being
made by Paci ic museums o adap . The Paci ic Islands, a opical egion loca ed wi hin a
as ocean ha bo de s Asia and he Ame icas, p o ide many o i s inhabi an s a unique
128
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
h ough he educa ion and sus ainable de elopmen ole hos ed he ICOM Webina on
museums and educa ion in 2022. The In e na ional Council o Museums highligh ed
he ole o museums in achie ing Sus ainable De elopmen Goal 4 on quali y educa ion.
The webina discussed how museums in he Asia-Paci ic egion can engage wi h local
communi ies and Indigenous peoples o p omo e educa ion o sus ainable de elopmen
(ICOM, 2022).
In he a eas o esea ch and capaci y building, i is so upli ing o see o ganiza ions such as
he A s and Humani ies Resea ch Council (AHRC) suppo ing he i age museums in he
Paci ic. Be ween 2016 and 2018, a special He i age ma e s P ojec explo ed how he i age
museums in he Paci ic can con ibu e o sus ainable de elopmen goals, pa icula ly
in heal h, educa ion, gende equali y, and communi y sus ainabili y. I unde sco ed
he po en ial o museums o suppo local communi ies h ough a ge ed esea ch and
capaci y-building ini ia i es. This p ojec was led by P o esso Nicholas Thomas who
sha ed his wo k wi h he museum s a in he Solomon Islands and Ki iba i (Thomas,
2018).
As a as my wo k wi h he Paci ic Islands Museums Associa ion is conce ned, I joined
he o ganiza ion in 2010 as hei sec e a y-gene al (SG). Founded in 1994, PIMA aims
o sa egua d Oceania’s he i age, dissemina e cul u al he i age in o ma ion among Paci ic
Islande s, and ad ise go e nmen s on cul u al he i age managemen . I se es as a collec i e
oice o museums in he egion, ad oca ing o he p ese a ion and p omo ion o Paci ic
cul u es. Du ing my e m as SG, I was able o o ganize wo kshops ac oss he Paci ic
egion and help museums and cul u al cen e s o deli e con en ha was ailo -made o
hei communi ies. These examples illus a e he dynamic and in eg al oles ha Paci ic
museums play in cul u al p ese a ion, communi y engagemen , educa ion, esea ch, and
ad ocacy.
Wi h hese ecen examples o indigenizing ou museums and cul u es, p o esso Hi ini
Mead was p edic ing his new change in he 1980s. He was al eady p oposing he
ad ancemen o Indigenous museums, all o which ques ioned aspec s o he wes e n
no ion o a museum. Mead, an Indigenous Mao i academic and an h opologis om New
Zealand (Nga i Awa T ibe) was he i s o explo e he p ac ical and in ellec ual issues o
Indigenous museums. He also di e en ia ed wes e n museum concep s om Indigenous
ones. To him, wes e n s yle museums we e expensi e o main ain and usually do no ha e
a good ela ionship wi h any local communi ies (S anley, 2007).
Mead (1983) c i iqued he wes e n model o museums and p oposed Indigenous models
ha we e mo e conduci e o he way Paci ic people ela e o hei objec s and associa ed
his o y. In his a icle “Indigenous Models o Museums in Oceania” (1983), he a gues ha
he e was a dis inc i e di e ence be ween Indigenous models and wes e n examples. As
ime wen by, in pa icula om he 1980s o he 1990s, his di e gence has become mo e
appa en as people in he Paci ic begin eassessing and accessing Indigenous cul u es.
Acco ding o Mead (1983), he e a e wo ypes o Indigenous museums. Type one is a
single-pu pose building ha ells a people’s s o y om p ehis o y o mode n imes. The
o he ype is a mul i- unc ional ibal cul u al cen e , known as a ma ae in New Zealand,
wi h a ious unc ions and pu poses. Fo ins ance, as o he Nga i Awa T ibe in New
Zealand, hey expec ed a lib a y, esea ch cen e , communi y hall, and an e en s cen e
o be buil alongside he main building, which will be iewed as a museum. The second
129
op ion has mo e in e ac i e unc ions and an inclusi e ea u e whe e young and old, u ban
and u al dwelle s can lea n abou hei cul u e and he i age h ough hands-on p og ams
and he lea ning a mosphe e. Mead also highligh ed he cus om houses in he Solomon
Islands, which ha e become a eposi o y o cul u ally alued and his o ic a i ac s and
se e as ce emonial loca ions o eligious and cul u al p ac ices (S anley, 2007).
O he quali ies ha se he ma ae and cus om houses apa om mode n museums ela e
o audiences. Bo h enues ha e cul u al es ic ions on who may en e , when hey may
en e , and wha class o objec s hey may iew. Ano he dis inc ion ela es o “economy
and echnology.” Indigenous museums do no ha e unds o employ la ge numbe s o
specialis s o o main ain special clima ic condi ions o s o age o sus ain he collec ions’
physical in eg i y. In such si ua ions, Indigenous museums u n o local knowledge and
expe ise.
F om my expe ience wo king wi h PIMA, I ha e seen an inc ease in museums eaching
ou o local a is s such as wea e s and ca e s o come o he museum and deli e
cul u al wo kshops o local schools and communi ies. In some ins ances, hey also ca e
o he needs o ou is s who isi hei museum and cul u al cen e s. The Vanua u Cul u al
Cen e is a classic example whe e locals and ou is s isi he museum o pa icipa e in
hei sand d awing ac i i ies led by sand d awing a is s who we e able o mas e bo h
he local Bislama language and English. In e p e e s a e also a ailable o assis wi h o he
languages should he need a ise.
The way o wa d: Indigenizing museum spaces
The e a e h ee exis ing no ions o indigenizing museums ha migh be conside ed he e.
Fi s ly, he e a e museums in he Paci ic islands ha a e al eady shi ing he ocus o hei
se ice deli e ables o ul ill he needs and demands o local communi ies. They a e o
be commended o adap ing and making he necessa y changes o se hemsel es apa
om business expec a ions. I is also commendable o see many museums collabo a ing
wi h hei Minis ies o Educa ion o each local schools and a ge young lea ne s. In
New Zealand, schools ha u ilize “Lea ning Ou side he Class oom” (LEOTC) can
o ganize busloads o s uden s o isi and suppo hei local museums o lea n mo e
abou hemsel es and hei his o y.
The second no ion in ol es a g oup ha mus be acknowledged, which a e cul u al
ins i u ions ha se e he Paci ic communi ies in he diaspo a. Mos lend a hand o suppo
island-based ins i u ions in hei ques o indigenize museum spaces. The bes example is
he Aus alian Museum in Sydney, emba king on a cul u al conse a ion p ojec known
as Tauhi, which is a Tongan wo d ha means “ o look a e ,” “ end o,” o “ o ake
ca e o .” The museum is collabo a ing wi h he Uni ed S a es Consula e in Sydney and
eaching ou o museums and cul u al ins i u ions in Vanua u, Solomon Islands, Tonga,
and Papua New Guinea.
The hi d no ion in ol es egional and in e na ional o ganiza ions such as UNESCO,
ICOM, and PIMA, ha se e as ad oca es o Paci ic island museums and hei s a .
They ha e p o ided guidance h ough aining manuals, wo kshops, and schola ships o
assis local museums o indigenize hei spaces and allow local oices and s o ies o be
sha ed in galle ies and o he exhibi ion spaces. As a esul , hey ha e legi imized he use o
museum spaces o be used by local communi ies ha speak he local language wi hin he
130
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
museum o du ing ou each, as in he case o he A s and Humani ies Resea ch Council
in he Uni ed Kingdom. An h opologis s om he UK spen a pe iod o wo yea s wo king
wi h museum s a in he Solomon Islands and Ki iba i, aining hem and eco ding hei
s o ies o how hey wo ked in hei communi y dealing wi h clima e change and he loss
o he i age knowledge. C ea ing spaces o dialogues, e en among he s a , is c ucial o
mo ing ahead as hese s o ies a e equally inspi ing and empowe ing.
Concluding ema ks
Paci ic museums oday a e shi ing hei p ocesses o collec ion, conse a ion, classi ica ion,
and display o objec s. The ne e ec o hese changes is o ep esen he people o he
islands as li ing cul u es a he han exo ic esidues o as disembodied momen s in a
pa e n o his o ical e olu ion ha he indus ial cul u es o he wo ld ha e le behind.
Today, museums also a e going h ough many changes such as oles in socie y, changing
iden i y, poli ical, and economic impac s, as well as compe i ion wi h o he cul u al and
leisu e indus ies.
The Paci ic is su ely a unique place. I was he las on ie on ea h o be conque ed and,
as a esul o colonialism, museums we e c ea ed mos ly in he ea ly 1900s. Al hough
museums a e wes e n cons uc s, Paci ic museums oday a e encou aged o adap o many
poli ical and economic changes and o ind answe s such as d awing upon local esou ces
and p oducing Indigenous solu ions. Despi e he many challenges ha hey ace daily
in he egion, many museums y o ind ealis ic solu ions o hei ins i u ion and he
communi ies ha hey se e. This pape has shown a shi in powe ela ionships be ween
wes e n museums and Indigenous communi ies. This is also e lec ed in he con inuing
de elopmen in he ela ionships be ween museums and hei local communi ies and use s.
Museum cu a o ship has changed, whe e now cul u al belie s, alues, and adi ions o he
communi ies ha adi ionally owned and used he a i ac s a e ele a ed. In he pas , he
au ho i y o he cu a o was la gely unchallenged; howe e , ime has changed his, whe e
au ho i y is sha ed wi h museum use s such as indi iduals o communi y g oups whose
cul u al he i age is ep esen ed in he collec ion. Museum s a a e becoming sensi i e o
such p ac ices and a e adhe ing o he p o ocols equi ed by he communi ies conce ned.
The Museum o New Zealand Te Papa Tonga ewa is a classic example o a museum o
in e na ional s anding ha is pu ing in o place cul u al Mao i p o ocols ha mus be
ollowed by museum s a and isi o s alike.
Museums ha e become impo an places o educa ion and en e ainmen as well as o
he conse a ion o objec s. Museums a e, in ac , in a cons an s a e o change o a ac
isi o s, engage hei a en ion, and media e be ween wha objec s can “say” and wha he
audience expec s o hea . Today, howe e , Paci ic museums a e showing a keen in e es
in he p esen , which is cha ged wi h s a emen s o cul u al independence and he u u e.
131
Re e ences
Cowling, W. (2006). Once you saw hem, now you don’ : The disappea ance o Cook Island
adi ional c a p oduc ion. In Johnson, H., ed., Re e eed pape s om he 2nd
In e na ional Small Island Cul u es Con e ence o SIGRI, Sydney, Aus alia: Small
Islands Cul u es Resea ch Ini ia i e, (pp. 26–35). A ailable online, h p://www.sic i.o g
Clunie, F. (1986). Yalo i Vi i = Shades o Vi i: A Fiji Museum ca alogue. Fiji Museum.
Fiji Museum. (1986). In F. Clunie & J. B ooke-Whi e (Eds.), Fiji Museum. (1999). In Aus alian
Na ional Uni e si y. Paci ic Manusc ip s Bu eau (Ed.), Manusc ip s collec ion
mic o o m] / Fiji Museum. Paci ic Manusc ip s Bu eau, Aus alian Na ional Uni e si y.
Foanao a, L. (1994). Solomon Islands Na ional Museum and cul u al policy. In L. Linds om &
G.M. Whi e (Eds.)., Cul u e, cus om, adi ion. De eloping cul u al policy in he Paci ic
(pp. 95–102). Ins i u e o Paci ic S udies, Uni e si y o he Sou h Paci ic.
ICOM (2022), ICOM webina : Pe spec i es and p ac ice on museums and educa ion o
sus ainable de elopmen in Asia-Paci ic. h ps://icom.museum/en/news/icom-webina -i-
pe spec i es-and-p ac ice-on-museums-and-educa ion- o -sus ainable-de elopmen -in-
asia-paci ic
Johnson, C. (2007). Success and s uggles o small island museums in Polynesia wi h special
e e ence o Pi cai n Island. [Unpublished mas e ’s hesis]. Museum S udies, Uni e si y o
Ne ada.
LeFe e, T. (2007). Tou ism and Indigenous cu a ion o cul u e in Li ou, New Caledonia. In
N. S anley (Ed.), The u u e o Indigenous museums: Pe spec i es om he Sou hwes
Paci ic (pp. 70-78). Be ghahn Books.
Lone ee, A. (2008). Museums as si es o decoloniza ion: T u h elling in na ional and ibal
museums. In I. Ka p, C.A. K a z, L. Szwaja, & T. Yba a-F aus o (Eds.), Museum
ic ions: Public cul u es/global ans o ma ions (pp. 322–344). Duke Uni e si y P ess.
Losche, D. (2007). Memo y, iolence and ep esen a ion in he Tjibaou Cul u al Cen e, New
Caledonia. In N. S anley (Ed.) The u u e o Indigenous museums: Pe spec i es om he
sou hwes Paci ic (pp. 70–77). Be ghahn Books.
Paci ic Collec ion Access P ojec (2019), Abou he p ojec , Auckland Museum. h ps://www.
aucklandmuseum.com/disco e / esea ch/ esea ch-p ojec s/paci ic-collec ion-access-
p ojec /abou - he-p ojec -(1)
Pa ience, C. 2024. Aus alian Museum, US Embassy and Paci ic Pa ne s Embassy and Paci ic
Pa ne s Emba k on Cul u al Conse a ion P ojec . h ps://aus alian.museum/abou /
o ganisa ion/media-cen e/am-us-cul u al-conse a ion-p ojec
S anley, N. (Ed.). (2007). The u u e o Indigenous museums: Pe spec i es om he sou hwes
Paci ic. Be ghahn Books.
Thomas, N. 2018. He i age ma e s: Cul u e and de elopmen in he Paci ic. h ps://he i age-
esea ch.o g/case-s udies/he i age-ma e s-p ojec
Tonga, N. (2012, Ma ch 15). In oduc ion o Paci ic music and dance. [Lec u e no es]. Uni e si y
o Auckland, New Zealand.
UNESCO. (2010). Managing disas e isks o wo ld he i age. h ps://whc.unesco.o g/en/
managing-disas e - isks/
Wea ing a ne wo k o ca e. (2022). A Na i e Hawaiian and Paci ic Islande Museum Ins i u e.
Uni e si y o Hawaii, Manoa. h ps://schola space.manoa.hawaii.edu/i ems/0c97d7c5-3579-
4 05-ab8e-e0e5770aa47e
Welsh, R.L. (2007). The ans o ma ion o cul u al cen es in Papua New Guinea, In N. S anley,
(Ed.), The u u e o indigenous museums: Pe spec i es om he sou hwes Paci ic (pp.
207–222). Be ghahn Books.
132
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
Na a i es and island he i age
ep esen a ion: Na iga ing he Ainu
exhibi ions on Hokkaido
Nicolle Bi encou
Waseda Uni e si y – Shinjuku, Japan
[email p o ec ed]
Yi-An Chen
Uni e si y o Tokyo – Japan
Na ional Museum o His o y – Taipei, Taiwan
[email p o ec ed]
Abs ac
This a icle examines he museum ep esen a ion o he Ainu, he Indigenous
people o Hokkaido, Japan. D awing on pos colonial heo y, exhibi
communica ion models, and c i ical museology, i explo es how museum
na a i es e lec and shape public unde s anding o Ainu his o y, cul u e,
and iden i y. I analyzes exhibi ions a he Hokkaido Museum, Nibu ani
Ainu Cul u e Museum, Kayano Shige u Nibu ani Ainu Museum, Upopoy
Na ional Ainu Museum and Pa k, and he Hokkaido Ainu Cul u al
Cen e . These ange om s a e-sanc ioned and ou is ic o communi y-led
app oaches. The aming o Ainu cul u e in he pas ense unde sco es he
need o deepe engagemen wi h con empo a y Ainu communi ies and
global Indigenous esu gence.
Keywo ds: Ainu, Indigenous ep esen a ion, Hokkaido, Japan, exhibi ion
Resumé
Réci s e ep ésen a ion du pa imoine insulai e : Na igue à a e s les
exposi ions aïnues à Hokkaidō. Ce a icle examine la ep ésen a ion
muséale des Aïnous, le peuple au och one de Hokkaidō, au Japon. En
s’appuyan su la héo ie pos coloniale, les modèles de communica ion
muséale e la muséologie c i ique, il explo e commen les éci s muséaux
e lè en e açonnen la comp éhension publique de l’his oi e, de la
cul u e e de l’iden i é aïnoues. Il analyse les exposi ions du Musée de
Hokkaidō, du Musée cul u el aïnou de Nibu ani, du Musée Kayano
Shige u de Nibu ani, du Musée na ional aïnou Upopoy e du Cen e
cul u el aïnou de Hokkaidō. Ces exposi ions on des app oches é a iques
e ou is iques à celles di igées pa les communau és. L’anc age du éci
aïnou au passé souligne la nécessi é d’un engagemen plus p o ond a ec
133
la ie con empo aine des Aïnous e la ésu gence au och one à l’échelle
mondiale.
Mo s-clés : Ainu, ep ésen a ion au och one, Hokkaido, Japon, exposi ion
_____
This a icle p esen s an analysis based on ieldwo k conduc ed in ea ly 2023 by wo mu-
seum s udies PhD s uden s based in Japan. O igina ing om B azil and Taiwan — wo
coun ies wi h di e se Indigenous popula ions and complex colonial his o ies — he au-
ho s we e na u ally d awn o Indigenous na a i es in Japan as hey began o explo e
a ious aspec s o hei hos coun y. The objec i e o his s udy is o analyze a ious
app oaches o Ainu ep esen a ion obse ed in ou exhibi ions ac oss Hokkaido, explo -
ing bo h hei o igins and in e p e i e s a egies. By examining he amewo ks behind
di e en ep esen a ions o Ainu cul u e, his esea ch aims o con ibu e o de eloping
mo e inclusi e and collabo a i e exhibi ion models ha e ec i ely communica e he con-
empo a y p esence and agency o he Ainu people in Japan.
The mul i ace ed ep esen a ions o Ainu cul u e in Hokkaido, he g oup’s ances al
homeland, e lec a laye ed his o y shaped by colonial p ocesses and ongoing pos colonial
cul u al p ac ices (Siddle, 1996; Lewallen, 2016). Museum exhibi ions o e a ange o
na a i es, no only om Japanese-Ainu and non-Ainu pe spec i es bu also om wi hin
he Ainu communi y i sel , e ealing he ajec o y o cul u al esu gence da ing back o
Kayano Shige u’s ea ly e o s o collec and p ese e Ainu o al adi ions and a i ac s
(Kayano, 1994).
The ep esen a ion o he Ainu in Japan aces unique challenges. A long his o y o cul-
u al supp ession and assimila ion has con ibu ed o he silencing and homogeniza ion
o Ainu iden i y wi hin mains eam socie y (Winches e , 2013). The eeme gence o Ainu
na a i es in museums has coincided wi h b oade pos wa ci il mo emen s in Japan, in-
cluding an i-disc imina ion campaigns, en i onmen al jus ice e o s, and Indigenous land
igh s ac i ism (Siddle, 1996; Lewallen, 2016). Con empo a y e o s a ep esen a ion
mus he e o e g apple no only wi h he au hen ici y and e i aliza ion o Ainu cul u al
exp ession bu also wi h he issue o agency, ensu ing ha Ainu oices a e cen al o he
na a ion o hei own his o ies. This shi is essen ial o os e ing deepe app ecia ion
and espec o Ainu cul u e and i s place wi hin he na ional his o ical na a i e.
Museums a e ac i e spaces o meaning making, whe e na a i es a e cons uc ed, ne-
go ia ed, and o en con es ed. Wi hin con en ional ins i u ional amewo ks, howe e ,
dominan discou ses ha e equen ly ma ginalized, mis ep esen ed, and la ened Indig-
enous his o ies and iden i ies (Cli o d, 1997; Message, 2013). Cul u al ep esen a ion,
he e o e, emains one o he mos signi ican challenges o museum p o essionals wo ld-
wide: how o communica e he complexi ies o cul u al he i age wi hin he cons ain s o
museum spaces and do so in ways ha meaning ully engage he public. These challenges
become pa icula ly p onounced when wo king wi h Indigenous communi ies, as ep e-
sen a ion no only shapes in e nal communi y iden i y – o en wi hin mino i y con ex s
– bu also in luences how hese communi ies a e pe cei ed by he b oade socie y.
Museum ep esen a ion o he Ainu in Japan e eals an in e play be ween colonial lega-
cies and Indigenous agency. S a e-sanc ioned na a i es ha e o en elega ed Ainu cul u e
o a s a ic pas ; howe e , longs anding communi y-led ini ia i es ac i ely challenge hese
134
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
ou da ed app oaches by p io i izing sel -de e mined pe spec i es. These ini ia i es high-
ligh he impo ance o museums building deepe connec ions wi h con empo a y Ainu
ac i ism and aligning wi h b oade Indigenous mo emen s ad oca ing o mo e e ec i e
decolonial ep esen a ion. By compa ing s a ic depic ions o Ainu cul u e wi h dynamic
Indigenous ep esen a ions, i becomes clea ha e lexi e museology is essen ial. Such an
app oach c ea es a b idge be ween his o ical displays and pos colonial discou ses, unde -
sco ing he signi icance o ep esen a ion and emphasizing he ans o ma i e po en ial o
museums.
Backg ound
In museology and cul u al he i age s udies, he ep esen a ion o Indigenous g oups wi h-
in museums has ecei ed inc easing schola ly a en ion. This g owing in e es s ems no
only om an expanded unde s anding o cul u e and di e si y bu also om c i ical de-
ba es su ounding he powe dynamics embedded wi hin museum p ac ices as well as
he igh s o ma ginalized g oups o eclaim hei he i age and ac i ely pa icipa e in
decision-making p ocesses. G ounded in pos colonial heo y and c i ical museology, his
s udy obse es ins i u ional p ac ices and ad oca es o mo e inclusi e and pa icipa o y
app oaches, aiming ul ima ely o empowe he Indigenous communi ies ep esen ed.
In Japan, he o icial ecogni ion o he Ainu as an e hnic mino i y began wi h he en-
ac men o he Ainu Cul u al P omo ion Law in 1997, which aimed o p ese e and
p omo e he Ainu language and ce ain aspec s o Ainu cul u e. Howe e , as G unow
(2019) a gues, his policy eme ged om a b oade con ex o s uc u al disc imina ion,
ma ginaliza ion, and exploi a ion o Ainu cul u e h ough se le colonial amewo ks in
Hokkaido. Ea lie schola ship by Cheung (2003) also poin ed ou he lack o in-dep h e-
sea ch and engagemen wi h Ainu cul u al he i age. Al hough legal de elopmen s in 1997
ma ked a s ep o wa d, i was no un il he Ainu Policy P omo ion Ac o 2019 ha he
Japanese go e nmen o icially ecognized he Ainu as an Indigenous people (Tsunemo o,
2019). P io o his ecogni ion, s a e-led p omo ion e o s o en ocused on he com-
modi ica ion o Ainu cul u e h ough wha has been e med “e hnic ou ism” (Hiwasaki,
2000).
Al hough he legal acknowledgmen o he Ainu ep esen s a c i ical miles one, i does
no au oma ically ansla e in o socie al accep ance o app ecia ion. This disconnec is
la gely a ibu able o he endu ing legacies o se le colonialism in Hokkaido and he
pe sis en my h o cul u ally homogeneous Japanese socie y. As Lewallen (2016) high-
ligh s, deep-sea ed ma ginaliza ion s uc u es con inue o shape Ainu iden i y and limi
oppo uni ies o cul u al sel -de e mina ion. Fu he mo e, Ligh oo (2020) sugges s ha
go e nmen wel a e policies di ec ed a he Ainu ha e o en amed hei cul u al and
poli ical needs in educ i e ways, in luencing con empo a y deba es on Indigenous igh s
and ecogni ion in Japan.
In discussing he ela ionship be ween memo y, powe , and museums, Chagas (2007)
concep ualizes he museum as bo h a “wa che ” and some hing o be wa ched – a con-
s uc ed space ha no only p esen s na a i es o he public bu also ca ies an in isible
gaze shaped by sys ems o knowledge and au ho i y. Acco ding o Chagas, museums
ha e he po en ial o unc ion as e lec i e spaces in which ma e ial he i age is imbued
wi h symbolic and spi i ual meanings. In his sense, museums a e no only eposi o ies
o objec s bu also pla o ms o c i ical e lec ion, dialogue, and social engagemen . This
135
pe spec i e highligh s he ans o ma i e po en ial o museums o con ibu e o mo e
inclusi e cul u al na a i es and eshape he public unde s anding o his o ically ma gin-
alized g oups.
Focusing speci ically on Indigenous ep esen a ion in museum exhibi ions, Cu y’s (2017)
s udy on he decoloniza ion o Indigenous ep esen a ion in museums is also ounda-
ional. Cu y a gues ha colonial hough pa e ns ein o ce s e eo ypes and p ejudices
agains Indigenous peoples, whe eas museums ha e he po en ial o coun e ac hese bi-
ases h ough educa ional and cu a o ial p ac ices. Acco ding o Cu y, adi ional colonial
museum p ac ices in ol e ins i u ions speaking on behal o Indigenous peoples. Deco-
lonial ans o ma ion occu s when cu a o ial p ac ices in eg a e Indigenous oices and
spi i uali y. This shi equi es ins i u ional es uc u ing, compelling museum eams no
only o collabo a e di ec ly wi h Indigenous sel - ep esen a ion bu also p o ide in a-
s uc u e conduci e o in e cul u al dialogue (Cu y & Bombona o, 2022). Addi ionally,
communica ion heo y as a icula ed by Floyd e al. (2022) emphasizes communica ion as
a symbolic p ocess – one ha employs symbols o cons uc and con ey meaning, exp ess
alues, and ep esen signi icance. Thus, Indigenous museology p io i izes collabo a ion
and e ec i e communica ion o a oid ep oducing colonial p ac ices.
Me hodology
Ou s udy d aws on Tony Benne ’s (2005) concep o cul u al objec hood. This is pa ic-
ula ly ele an as i adap s he ac o -ne wo k heo y (ANT) o he analysis o museum
objec s. Benne d aws a pa allel be ween he meaning-making p ocesses o museum objec s
and he agency o ma e ials in scien i ic labo a o ies. Acco ding o his iew, objec s in
museums a e no me ely passi e ep esen a ions o his o y and cul u e bu ac i ely pa ici-
pa e in ongoing p ocesses o meaning-making h ough ex e nal amewo ks es ablished by
cu a o ial choices, educa ional p og amming, ma ke ing, and audience-o ien ed p ac ices.
These p ac ices ende museum objec s agen s wi hin b oade social p og ams ha seek o
o ganize and egula e social ela ions.
The ANT is a social s udies app oach de eloped by Michel Callon, B uno La ou , and John
Law (Mu doch, 1997). The con ibu ions o Mu doch (1998) p o ide a c i ical examina-
ion and a p agma ic ex ension o ANT’s applicabili y, analyzing he limi a ions o he ea ly
amewo k o ANT and demons a ing how he heo y can be used o analyze he complex
ela ionship be ween socie y and ma e ial ep esen a ions. Mu doch iden i ies he spaces o
hie a chical con igu a ions whe e cen alized ac o s (such as ins i u ions) s abilize ne wo ks
h ough o malized ules and ma e ial a angemen s, di e en ia ing hem om he spaces
o nego ia ions whe e he ac o s con es , ein e p e , o e en adap ne wo k ela ions. One
o he main poin s o his esea ch is how he e lexi e cha ac e is ics o human ac o s di e
om hose o non-human ac o s because humans ha e he possibili y o esis ing o chang-
ing ne wo k p econcep ions.
Ké i and Pallud (2011) ex end he applicabili y o he heo y o he ealm o cul u al ins i u-
ions, aming media ion as a mul i unc ional and mul idi ec ional p ac ice in ol ing a ne -
wo k o ac i i ies: communica ion (as he dialogue be ween di e en ac o s), in o ma ion
(as he cu a ion and con ex ualiza ion o a i ac s), nego ia ion (as na iga ing he di e si y
o in e p e a ions), ecep ion (as he assimila ion and con es a ion o he audiences), and
educa ion (as pedagogical ac i i ies). Museum media ion o he au ho s is a mul i unc ional
ac o ne wo k whe e p esc ip i e and nego ia i e logics in e sec , elucida ed as p esc ip-
136
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
i e spaces esul ing om a cu a o ial au ho i y and ins i u ional policies ha s anda dize
na a i es and isi o s’ pa hways. In pa allel, nego ia i e spaces a e c ea ed h ough isi o
in e ac ions, ein e p e a ions, and engagemen s whe e meaning is cons uc ed wi h he au-
dience ins ead o being imposed by he ins i u ion on o hem.
The e o e, he Ainu exhibi ion si es discussed in his s udy a e analyzed wi hin a amewo k
ha ecognizes museum media ion as a ela ional and mul i ace ed p ocess. The analysis
highligh s he in e play among ins i u ional amewo ks, cu a o ial p ac ices, isi o en-
gagemen s, he p o enance o collec ions, and speci ic cu a o ial s a egies employed in he
displays. Ul ima ely, i emphasizes museums as dynamic spaces whe e meanings a e collab-
o a i ely nego ia ed a he han passi ely ansmi ed.
The exhibi ion si es
The Hokkaido Museum
The Hokkaido Museum is a go e nmen -adminis e ed ins i u ion ha in eg a es academic
esea ch wi h educa ion, aiming o cons uc an o icial image o he egion h ough exhibi-
ions on en i onmen al his o y, indus ial de elopmen , and cul u al e olu ion. The muse-
um houses a di e se collec ion, including a sec ion dedica ed o Ainu cul u e and ecen his-
o y. This sec ion adop s an ambi ious and con empo a y e hnog aphic na a i e, u ilizing
illus a ed panels ha ollow he s o y o a mode n Ainu amily. The s o yline begins wi h a
boy who iden i ies as Japanese and g adually econnec s wi h his Ainu oo s and adi ions.
Ac ing as a na a i e guide, he in oduces isi o s o Ainu cul u e, wi h a i ac s comple-
men ing he s o yline in a way ha p esen s he Ainu expe ience as pa o mode n socie y.
One o he easons o his p og essi e app oach is ha he museum hos s he Ainu Cul u e
Resea ch Cen e , es ablished 30 yea s ago, which includes esea che s and acul y membe s
who iden i y as Ainu. I is hus no coinciden al ha he Hokkaido Museum p esen s a
mo e inno a i e and socially engaged na a i e o Ainu cul u e – one ha seeks o coun e
s igma iza ion and mo e away om he encyclopedic, de ached po ayals o he pas . The
exhibi ion s i es o esona e wi h con empo a y audiences and depic he Ainu as ac i e
pa icipan s in p esen -day Japan.
Howe e , om ano he pe spec i e, he na a i e s ill main ains ce ain adi ional ep e-
sen a ional ames. While i a emp s o mode nize he po ayal o Ainu cul u e, i la gely
adhe es o a Japanese cul u al amewo k, limi ing he space o mo e c i ical discussions on
he impac o se le colonialism and ma ginaliza ion. A deepe explo a ion o how di e en
g oups came o be in eg a ed in o he Japanese na ion-s a e – beginning om a mul icul u -
alis s andpoin – could p o ide a mo e nuanced unde s anding o hese dynamics.
The Nibu ani Ainu Cul u e Museum and he Kayano Museum
The loca ion o hese wo ins i u ions is no able: hey a e embedded wi hin Nibu ani, a
illage known as Nibu ani Ainu Takumi no Michi (Nibu ani Ainu C a smanship Town),
which has he highes concen a ion o Ainu popula ion in Japan. Su ounded by c a
wo kshops and ou ism acili ies, his a ea is ecognized o i s au hen ic Ainu cul u al
p ac ices. The coexis ence o wo museums ocused on Ainu cul u e o e s an in e es ing
con as in hei objec -cen e ed na a i e app oaches. As Hiwasaki (2000) no es, he il-
lage ep esen s a unique model o e hnic ou ism in Japan.
137
The Kayano Shige u Nibu ani Ainu Museum is a p i a e ins i u ion ope a ed by he amily
o Kayano Shige u, he i s Ainu membe o he Japanese Die and a p ominen ad oca e
o Ainu igh s. The museum’s na a i e is shaped by Kayano’s pe sonal pe spec i e as
an Ainu cul u al leade . The collec ion includes adi ional objec s, eplicas, c a s (bo h
adi ional and con empo a y), and sou eni s. While he layou may appea eclec ic –
lacking cohe en labels o explana ions in some a eas – i e okes he eeling o a pe sonal
a chi e o collec o ’s aul . Despi e hese limi a ions, he museum s ands as a es amen o
a li ed Ainu expe ience beyond he p emode n, “e hnic” image. I emphasizes he Ainu’s
global cul u al exchanges and hei agency in eclaiming ep esen a ional space.
In con as , he Nibu ani Ainu Cul u e Museum – housed in a mode n acili y – ocuses
on he p emode n. I holds many a i ac s dona ed by Kayano and has been designa ed as
an Impo an Tangible Folk Cul u al P ope y. The exhibi ion is s uc u ed by hema ic
zones, beginning wi h a ideo pe o mance o he Yuka (Ainu epic poe y), ollowed by
sec ions i led Ainu (The Ainu Way o Li e), Kamuy (D amas o he Gods), Misu (Bless-
ings o he Ea h), and Mo ew (A T adi ion o Figu a i e A ). While he p esen a ion
adop s a con empo a y design, he na a i e emains oo ed in p emode n depic ions o
Ainu li e. Th ough econs uc ed en i onmen s and e hnog aphic ma e ials, he exhibi-
ion p ima ily po ays he Ainu as pa o Japan’s dis an pas . Al hough he a i ac s
come om Kayano’s collec ion, he in e p e a ion is shaped by Japanese schola s wi h
an emphasis on accessibili y o gene al audiences. This app oach isks ein o cing he
no ion ha Ainu cul u e is a s a ic, his o ical phenomenon a he han a li ing adi ion.
The wo collec ions o e con as ing ep esen a ional logics. One in i es isi o s o engage
wi h a con empo a y, esilien Ainu iden i y while he o he leans owa d a mo e ins i u-
ionalized and his o icized aming. This con as is especially in iguing conside ing bo h
o igina e om Kayano’s e o s. The Kayano Museum, as a p i a ely unded ins i u ion,
may ace limi a ions in exhibi ion design due o inancial cons ain s. None heless, i s
inclusion o objec s ha highligh he Ainu’s in e na ional ne wo ks is a aluable con i-
bu ion o cul u al ad ocacy. On he o he hand, he Nibu ani Cul u e Museum p o ides a
mo e s uc u ed and isually cohesi e expe ience o he gene al public, o e ing an acces-
sible in oduc ion o Ainu cul u e – e en i i emains la gely con ined o a nos algic lens.
The Upopoy Na ional Ainu Museum and Pa k
By a he la ges complex examined in his s udy – bo h in e ms o spa ial scale, collec-
ions, and he ange o ac i i ies o e ed – he Upopoy Na ional Ainu Museum and Pa k,
loca ed in Shi aoi, was es ablished in 2020. I s c ea ion was ini ia ed unde he Ac on
he P omo ion o Measu es o Realize a Socie y in Which he P ide o he Ainu People is
Respec ed, wi h he p ima y objec i e o no only p ese ing and exhibi ing Ainu cul u e
bu also se ing as a cul u al hub o dissemina e and celeb a e he di e si y o Ainu a-
di ions and p ac ices.
While he na ional museum is newly b anded, i is no en i ely new. I e ol ed om a
p e-exis ing museum dedica ed o Ainu cul u e, which was econs uc ed, enamed, and
eb anded in an icipa ion o he Tokyo 2020 Olympics. As Umezawa (2020) no es, his
eb anding was in ended o p esen Japan as a na ion ha emb aces cul u al di e si y,
pa icula ly on he global s age. Upopoy o e s a wide ange o cul u al p og amming
o bo h isi o s and Ainu communi y membe s. The pe manen exhibi ion is o ganized
a ound six hema ic zones: Ou Language, Ou Uni e se, Ou Li es, Ou His o y, Ou
144
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
c ea ing he po en ial o examining Taiwan’s se le -colonial ea u es and ul ima ely con-
ibu ing o he long-awai ed p ocess o decoloniza ion.
Ini ia ed by NMH cu a o D . Tsai Yao-ching, a specialis in a his o y, he exhibi ion
b ough oge he a di e se g oup o con ibu o s, including ci ilian collec o s, uni e si-
ies, and esea ch cen e s. These pa icipan s, p ima ily om non-go e nmen al ini ia-
i es, collabo a i ely cons uc ed a cohesi e na a i e o Taiwan’s ma i ime expe iences
h oughou i s se le -colonial his o y. This na a i e was suppo ed by objec s om a
wide ange o gen es, emphasizing hei his o ical signi icance in connec ing he island’s
pas o he sea. Held in a p ominen na ional museum, he exhibi ion u he unde sco ed
Taiwan’s ongoing cul u al and poli ical democ a iza ion o e he pas decade.
This case s udy examines Oceanic Taiwan and employs his o ical me hods and sociolog-
ical heo ies o analyze he composi ion o he exhibi ion’s objec assemblage, i s agency,
and he ne wo k o ac o s and na a i es in ol ed in i s c ea ion. Mo e speci ically, he
analysis e e ences Tony Benne ’s (2018) museum heo y, which explo es how mode n
na ion-s a e displays om he 20 h cen u y onwa d econs uc objec s and hei symbol-
ic meanings o align wi h na ional na a i es. This s udy in es iga es how Oceanic Tai-
wan e lec ed he indigeniza ion o cul u e, iden i y, and e ol ing na ionalism in Taiwan.
Fu he mo e, i highligh s how he museum na a i e c a ed wo decades ago con ibu -
ed o cul u al decoloniza ion wi hin a na ional museum se ing and con inues o inspi e
bo h he challenges and oppo uni ies o cul u al decoloniza ion in p esen -day Taiwan.
The NMH, a lens o he cons uc ion o Taiwan’s na ional cul u e
Loca ed a he c oss oads o he Paci ic Ocean and he Chinese con inen , Taiwan has
long been a si e o sea a ing mig a ions and geopoli ical con lic s. The island’s geog aphy
in i ed wa es o se le s and colonial egimes, each imposing a dis inc ideology o cul-
u al and na ion. The mos ecen wa e o se le colonialism came wi h he au ho i a ian
ule o he Kuomin ang (KMT) a e Wo ld Wa II, ma king a pi o al chap e in Taiwan’s
con es ed iden i y and cul u al na a i e.
The NMH, es ablished in 1955 unde he KMT egime, se es as a mic ocosm o ex-
amining he in e play be ween poli ical ideology and cul u al ep esen a ion in Taiwan.
As a p oduc o Sinocen ic cul u al cons uc ion du ing an e a o au ho i a ian ule, he
NMH e lec ed he Chinese na ionalis na a i e ha shaped Taiwan’s o icial iden i y
o decades. I s a chi ec u al design, collec ion s a egies, and exhibi ion na a i es we e
deeply in e wined wi h s a e ideology and Cold Wa geopoli ics unde he in luence o
he Ame ican empi e (Johnson, 2000). The NMH unc ioned as a ehicle o ad ancing
he KMT’s ision o Taiwan as he legi ima e ep esen a i e o he Republic o China.
Howe e , while i once unc ioned as an au ho i a i e cul u al ins i u ion, i s ansi ional
p ac ices alongside he na ion’s democ a iza ion p o ides a close-up lens o unde s and-
ing Taiwan’s e ol ing na ional na a i e amid con empo a y his o ical shi s and ans-
o ma ions in iden i y.
Tsai (2019), in his s udy o li e a y and cul u al p oduc ions in Taiwan, p o ides a com-
p ehensi e amewo k o applying se le colonial c i icism o concep ualize signi i-
can pos -wa na a i e ans o ma ions. Simila ly, he na a i es p oduced in museums
h ough objec assemblages can bene i om being examined wi hin he amewo k o
se le colonialism. While he “na ional” s a us o a museum adds ano he a iable o
145
he na a i es i p oduces, i is p ecisely such na ional ins i u ions—once egula ed by
au ho i a ian go e nmen s— ha ace he g ea es challenges ye simul aneously hold he
g ea es po en ial o pos -colonial cul u al p oduc ion.
Decolonizing se le colonialized Taiwan
Be ween 1949 and he li ing o ma ial law in 1987, Chiang Kai-shek implemen ed a
comp ehensi e au ho i a ian go e nance sys em o main ain his egime in exile in Tai-
wan. This egime claimed so e eign y o e China while b inging in an in lux o se le s
who comp ised oughly 20% o he island’s popula ion a he ime (Wakabayashi, 2003).
Dic a o ship, a Sinocen ic cul u al na a i e, and an i-communis p opaganda h i ed
unde he KMT go e nance o decades a e i s eloca ion o Taiwan (Lin, 2009). Con-
sequen ly, poli ical ep ession and a Sinocen ic ideology domina ed Taiwan’s o icial cul-
u al na a i e. While deba es con inue abou whe he he concep o se le colonialism
ully encapsula es he KMT au ho i a ian s a e (Wakabayashi, 2016, pp. 90-107), pos -
Wo ld Wa II Taiwan undoub edly expe ienced a egime oo ed in se le -colonial policies
aimed a na ionalis assimila ion (Sugimo o, 2018, pp. 283-297).
Wi h he li ing o ma ial law in 1987, he p ocess o democ a iza ion spu ed e o s
o cons uc a mul icul u al na a i e ha could encompass he di e se memo ies and
iden i ies a ising om Taiwan’s his o y o consecu i e se le -colonial egimes. This mul-
icul u alism, in e wined wi h he ise o Taiwanese na ionalism, sough o ed ess he
disp opo iona e emphasis on Chinese cul u e by ad oca ing a mo e balanced ep esen a-
ion o all cul u al g oups wi hin he na ion. In con as o he p e ious monoli hic Sino-
cen ic na a i e, his new app oach aimed o e lec he eali ies o Taiwan’s plu alis ic
socie y. Howe e , he na ion’s poli ical and social pola iza ion highligh s he incomple e
na u e o decoloniza ion in add essing he se le -colonial aspec s o i s au ho i a ian pas .
The KMT’s ab ica ion o a Chinese iden i y, which delibe a ely ma ginalized Indigenous
cul u es, os e ed a “se le -colonial unconsciousness” (Hi ano e al., 2018, p. 213). Ac-
knowledging he se le -colonial s uc u e o he pos -Wo ld Wa II KMT egime h ough
he con ex ualiza ion o i s cul u al cons uc s is c ucial o Taiwan’s ongoing democ a i-
za ion and cul u al e o m.
The KMT’s con inen al-o ien ed ideology, which unde pinned i s claims o so e eign y
o e China, pe aded Taiwanese socie y o mo e han hal a cen u y. This ideology o e -
looked he island’s ma i ime his o y and expe iences, c ea ing a disconnec be ween o i-
cial na a i es p oduced by public ins i u ions and he li ed expe iences o he Taiwanese
people. Fo o e 50 yea s, he au ho i a ian p omo ion o a Sinocen ic cul u al ame-
wo k c ea ed pe sis en socie al dissonance. While s udies on Taiwan’s se le -colonial
his o y ha e only gained momen um in he pas decade, hey highligh how he island’s
complex pa e ns o coloniza ion pose unique challenges o i s decoloniza ion p ocess
(Hi ano e al., 2018).
Decoloniza ion in Taiwanese na ional museums
The 1990s saw a su ge in he es ablishmen o new na ional museums in Taiwan ha em-
b aced na a i es o mul icul u alism, plu alism, and oceanic pe spec i es (Chu, 2011).
This cul u al eo ien a ion was p eceded by he cul u al na i ism mo emen o he 1970s,
which laid he g oundwo k o a mo e inclusi e na ional na a i e (Hsiau, 2021). Ini ia -
ed by g ass oo s li e a y mo emen s, cul u al na i ism in he 1970s called o mo e ela -
146
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
able li e a y p oduc ion using local languages, cul u al ea u es, and memo ies ancho ed
in he Taiwanese expe ience, in con as o he Na ionalis s’ con inen al, an i-communis
ci il wa memo ies and hei o e a ching Sinocen ic cul u al na a i es. The mul icul-
u al app oach la e adop ed by Taiwan’s democ a ized go e nmen e lec s his ideolog-
ical shi and unde sco es he popula ion’s esis ance o monoli hic cul u al assimila ion
(Wakabayashi, 2016). Na ional museums played a pi o al ole in his ans o ma ion,
ep esen ing a na ional e o o add ess he his o ical neglec o he cul u e o Taiwan’s
majo i y popula ion (Wang, 2004). This ideological shi ma ked bo h a p ocess and a
miles one in he na ion’s decoloniza ion, highligh ing he g adual decen aliza ion o cul-
u al au ho i y (Chu, 2011). The Indigenous peoples, along wi h he Chinese Hokkien
and Hakka se le s who ha e coexis ed on he island since he se en een h cen u y, ha e
inally had he chance o be acknowledged and ep esen ed alongside he pos -1949 Chi-
nese Na ionalis se le s in he na ion’s cul u al ep esen a ions.
Howe e , while mul icul u alism seeks o inco po a e Taiwan’s di e se popula ion wi h
i s a ied o igins and memo ies, ensions pe sis . Dispa i ies in esou ce alloca ion among
cul u al g oups and endu ing socio-economic inequali ies. e eal he limi a ions o cu en
e o s o e o m he na ional na a i e. Mo eo e , he linge ing in luence o Sinocen ic
ideology con inues o shape ins i u ional s uc u es and public discou se, complica ing he
cons uc ion o a cohesi e na ional iden i y. As Taiwan’s decoloniza ion p ocess emains
incomple e, he s uggle o e na ional iden i y e lec s b oade ques ions abou cul u al
so e eign y, his o ical ecogni ion, and he ede ini ion o belonging. The museum space,
as a si e o cul u al memo y and iden i y o ma ion, plays a c ucial ole in ei he ein o c-
ing o disman ling colonial na a i es.
Gi en i s dual ole as a na ional cul u al ins i u ion and an exhibi ion con en p oduce ,
he NMH equi es a c i ical eexamina ion o bo h i s cu a o ial p ocesses and he im-
plica ions o i s exhibi ions. As an ins i u ion his o ically shaped by s a e ideology, he
NMH mus con on i s ole in pe pe ua ing o challenging se le -colonial na a i es in
Taiwan’s na ional iden i y cons uc ion. The pe spec i es gained om se le -colonialism
s udies p o ide a aluable ool o analyzing how exhibi ions shape public consciousness,
in luencing he collec i e unde s anding o Taiwan’s pas and u u e. By applying his
amewo k, Oceanic Taiwan, a special exhibi ion p oduced by he NMH, can be con-
ex ualized as pa o a b oade e o o disman le hegemonic na a i es and asse an
au onomous Taiwanese iden i y.
Oceanic Taiwan and he NMH
Despi e i s o igins in au ho i a ianism, he NMH con inues o ope a e wi hin a democ a-
ized socie y. As a na ional museum aligned wi h he s a e’s cul u al go e nance, i aces
he challenge o c ea ing exhibi ion na a i es ha e lec Taiwan’s e ol ing na ional pe -
spec i e. The p oduc ion o Oceanic Taiwan exempli ies his ansi ional p ocess, o e ing
insigh s in o how he museum eo ien ed i s na a i e ideology ha connec s he b oade
social changes aking place in he na ion.
The concep o he exhibi iona y complex expands he po en ial o museum objec hood in
he p ocess o decoloniza ion (Benne , 2018). In colonial museums, he ac o collec ing
e lec s he go e ning ne wo k, whe eby objec s a e selec ed, o ganized, and p esen ed o
align wi h dominan ideologies. These objec s possess agency h ough hei in e ac ions
wi h he go e ning ideology, shaping and ein o cing na a i es o powe . Fo he NMH,
147
i s assemblages o objec s and subsequen exhibi ions p o ide angible e idence o he na-
ion’s se le -colonial his o y and i s pos colonial aspi a ions in ecen decades. As Taiwan
ansi ions om au ho i a ian ule o a democ a ized socie y, he NMH, which has been
in ope a ion since he ea ly yea s o he Na ionalis egime in Taiwan, holds bo h he po-
en ial and he esponsibili y o c ea e his o ical amewo ks ha acili a e decoloniza ion
and c i ically add ess he coun y’s se le -colonial pas . Examina ion o he exhibi iona y
complex c ea ed unde he Taiwanese socie y’s ans o ma ion om Sinocen ic au ho -
i a ianism o a democ a ized oceanic one is a p ocess ha also con ibu es o he unde -
s anding o his island na ion’s se le -colonial ea u es in cul u e.
While some esea che s ha e a ibu ed he shi in museum na a i es – om Sinocen ic
o mul icul u alism – o poli ical i al y be ween he KMT and he Democ a ic P og essi e
Pa y (DPP) (Den on, 2021), he ansi ion e lec s deepe ensions be ween he olde and
newe se le g oups in Taiwanese socie y. The Han Chinese se le s in Taiwan, whose p es-
ence da es back o he se en een h cen u y and who cons i u e he la ges p opo ion o he
popula ion, expe ienced Japanese coloniza ion alongside he Indigenous peoples and di e
signi ican ly om he pos -wa Na ionalis se le s. Howe e , upon es ablishing i s egime in
Taiwan, he KMT imposed a Sinocen ic cul u al na a i e by designa ing ce ain a gen es
as “na ional” a s o ad ance i s go e ning ideology (Kuo, 1995; Guy, 2020) — an app oach
ha excluded he memo ies and expe iences o Taiwan’s la ges popula ion a he ime.
The ansi ion in cul u al na a i es – om Sinocen ism o au ho i a ian leade wo ship,
and, ul ima ely, o mul icul u al inclusi eness – mi o s he mul ie hnic composi ion and
di e se memo ies o Taiwanese socie y. B uno La ou ’s Ac o -Ne wo k Theo y (ANT) p o-
ides a aluable amewo k o unde s anding how museum objec s se e as bo h passi e
ca ie s o meaning and ac i e in e media ies in cul u al o ma ion (La ou , 2007). The
p ocesses o ca aloging, acqui ing, displaying, and ep oducing imbue objec s wi h agen-
cy, enabling hem o in luence cul u al amewo ks and na a i es a beyond hei o igi-
nal con ex s. Th ough exhibi ions and public engagemen , museum collec ions con inue o
shape socie al unde s andings o iden i y and his o y.
The Oceanic Taiwan exhibi ion, in oduced as a special exhibi a he NMH in 2005, ex-
empli ies he museum’s e ol ing ole in cons uc ing inclusi e na a i es. This exhibi ion
ma ked a signi ican depa u e om he NMH’s ea lie Sinocen ic p ac ices, highligh ing
i s agency in p omo ing an oceanic pe spec i e on Taiwan’s his o y. The laye ed mean-
ing-making p ocesses o he objec s in ol ed in his exhibi iona y complex p o ide e idence
o he powe dynamics a play du ing he exhibi ion’s c ea ion (Benne , 2018). Mo eo e ,
Ac o -Ne wo k Theo y allows o a u he unpacking o he oles ha objec s play wi hin
museum unc ions (Benne , 2005; By ne, 2011).
Democ a iza ion has shi ed he na ion’s cul u al na a i e owa d an oceanic pe spec-
i e, which o e s he po en ial o inco po a e mul iple iewpoin s and e lec he di e se
memo ies and iden i ies o i s people. By acknowledging he island na ion’s ma i ime
his o y and pas expe iences, his oceanic app oach aims o os e a sha ed and ela able
na ional iden i y. Oceanic Taiwan hus se es as an example o how na ional muse-
ums can ac as media o s in eo ien ing cul u al na a i es and ad ancing he p ocesses
o decoloniza ion and democ a iza ion. By analyzing he pa icipa ing ac o s, includ-
ing objec s, and na a i e s a egies wi hin he exhibi ion, Oceanic Taiwan e eals he
agen s o change d i ing he NMH’s e ol ing mission in esponse o democ a iza ion
and cul u al decoloniza ion in Taiwan.
148
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
The agen s
The cul u al adminis a ion s uc u e in Taiwan posi ions i s museums wi hin a hie a -
chical amewo k di ec ly aligned wi h go e nmen di ec i es. This s uc u e enables he
uling poli ical au ho i y’s ideology o shape museum na a i es. The ansi ion o powe
om he Chinese Na ionalis Pa y (KMT) o he Democ a ic P og essi e Pa y (DPP),
which posi ions i sel as mo e aligned wi h Indigenous pe spec i es, in 2000 ma ked a sig-
ni ican shi in Taiwan’s na ional doc ine. As he i s poli ical pa y es ablished a e he
li ing o ma ial law in 1987, he DPP in oduced an ideology dis inc om he KMT’s
au ho i a ian and con inen al- ocused cons uc . The socie y expe ienced a shi o go -
e ning ideology om Chinese con inen al o a mo e local, oceanic o ien ed one. Na ional
cul u al ins i u ions began o p omo e an oceanic pe spec i e, e lec ing a b oade ideo-
logical shi . Al hough o iginally designed o ein o ce he go e ning ideology du ing he
au ho i a ian pe iod, he NMH emb aced his end, launching i s i s exhibi ion aligned
wi h he new na a i e in 2005 as pa o i s 50 h anni e sa y ac i i ies.
The Oceanic Taiwan exhibi ion was a collabo a i e e o in ol ing a a ie y o non-go -
e nmen ac o s alongside he NMH ini ia ed by one o i s cu a o s, D . Tsai Yao-ching.
D . Tsai played a pi o al ole in shaping he exhibi ion’s na a i e. He was inspi ed by
he di e ing pe spec i es embedded in maps om a ious gene a ions and pu poses. His
cu a o ial app oach emphasized he un old ma i ime expe iences o Taiwan, c ea ing a
na a i e na u ally guided by he objec s selec ed o he assemblage. This app oach high-
ligh ed he island’s unique ela ionship wi h he sea, o e ing a coun e na a i e o he
Sinocen ic cons uc s o he pas .
Key con ibu o s in he Oceanic Taiwan objec assemblage included J.M. Lin A chi ec /
The Obse e Design G oup + G adua e Ins i u e o A chi ec u e a NCTU (Taiwan),
he Taiwan His o ic Map Socie y, and he Chinese Cul u e Uni e si y’s Digi al Ea h Re-
sea ch Cen e . This collabo a ion o p i a e collec o s, a chi ec u al i ms, uni e si ies,
and esea ch ins i u es demons a ed he exhibi ion’s inclusi i y. J.M. Lin A chi ec and
i s a ilia ed g oups con ibu ed a cen e piece o he exhibi ion based on a p ojec o igi-
nally de eloped o he Second In e na ional A chi ec u e Biennale in Ro e dam (IABR,
2005). This p ojec analyzed Taiwan’s coas line de elopmen and inspi ed u ban design
concep s, symbolizing he island’s connec ion o i s ma i ime en i onmen . The Council
o Cul u al A ai s unde he Execu i e Yuan o e saw he p ojec , signi ying go e nmen
suppo in cons uc ing a new na ional cul u al image aimed a gaining in e na ional ec-
ogni ion.
The Taiwan His o ic Map Socie y and he Chinese Cul u e Uni e si y’s Digi al Ea h Re-
sea ch Cen e played i al oles in isually si ua ing Taiwan wi hin he Paci ic con ex . The
Taiwan His o ic Map Socie y, a p i a e collec o ’s g oup, p o ided his o ical maps, pa ic-
ula ly om he Japanese colonial pe iod, ha highligh ed Taiwan’s colonial and mode n-
iza ion his o y. The Digi al Ea h Resea ch Cen e , on he o he hand, supplied con em-
po a y sa elli e image y and coas line analyses, ein o cing he exhibi ion’s mode n and
scien i ic pe spec i e. Toge he , hese esou ces suppo ed a na a i e posi ioning Taiwan
as an in eg al pa o he Paci ic a he han a con inen al appendage (see Figu e 2).
P i a e collec o s and esea ch ins i u es also con ibu ed signi ican ly o he cons uc ion
o an objec -based coun e na a i e ha di e ged om he NMH’s p e ious p ac ices.
This pa ne ship be ween go e nmen en i ies and ci ic communi ies e lec ed a decen al-
149
iza ion in he NMH’s cu a o ial p ocess. The in ol emen o mul iple ac o s allowed o a
b oade ange o pe spec i es, con ibu ing o a mo e inclusi e ep esen a ion o Taiwan’s
cul u al and his o ical iden i y. By hos ing Oceanic Taiwan on a na ional pla o m (see
Figu e 3), he NMH demons a ed i s e ol ing agency in challenging he hegemonic con-
inen al cul u al cons uc . This collabo a i e exhibi ion symbolized Taiwan’s p og ession
owa d democ a iza ion and decoloniza ion, e lec ing he museum’s commi men o ep-
esen ing a mo e inclusi e na ional iden i y.
The collec ions cu a ed by he NMH in pos -wa Taiwan, o iginally in ended o ein o ce
a con inen al- ocused na ional na a i e, now se e as ma e ial e idence o he island’s
mode n cul u al de elopmen and i s shi ing iden i y. Th ough Oceanic Taiwan, he
NMH and i s cu a o coo dina ed a ne wo k o con ibu o s who collec i ely p o ided
an a ay o objec s aligned wi h he oceanic na a i e. By se ing as he exhibi ion’s enue,
he NMH i sel became a key agen in his na a i e ans o ma ion, playing a cen al ole
in Taiwan’s e o s o ede ine i s cul u al iden i y and his o ical pe spec i e.
Figu e 2. Exhibi ion Hall o Oceanic Taiwan. © 2005, Na ional Museum o His o y.
150
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
The assemblage
The Oceanic Taiwan exhibi ion embodied a collabo a i e s o y elling e o by mul iple
agen s, bo h human and non-human, posi ioning hei con ibu ions as in eg al o he
na ion’s his o ical na a i e. The assemblage o objec s collec i ely cons uc ed a linea
na a i e o Taiwan’s de elopmen h ough i s ela ionship wi h he sea. These objec s
highligh ed he sea a ing adi ions o Han Chinese se le s, ma i ime economic ac i i ies,
and he di e se cul u es ep esen ing he li es o gene a ions o immig an s on he island.
The exhibi ion included a wide a ie y o ma e ials – maps, documen s, p in s, ship mod-
els, pho og aphs, pos ca ds, pos e s, and olk a i ac s – all o which con ibu ed o a
mul idimensional na a i e.
A i s glance, he asso men o objec s in his exhibi ion migh seem sca e ed in com-
pa ison o he pain ings and an iques ha had shaped he NMH exhibi ions be o e.
Howe e , his di e si y was in en ional, e lec ing he ange o agen s in ol ed in he
NMH’s e ol ing cul u al na a i es. The exhibi ion ea u ed eligious a i ac s ied o he
ma i ime ai h o Han Chinese se le s, such as objec s ela ed o he wo ship o he sea
goddess Ma su. I also included a po ai o an Indigenous g andmo he wi hin a Han
se le amily, as well as he iconic canoe o he Tao people om Lanyu (O chid Island).
The p esence o he Indigenous peoples and a his o y o in e ac ions and coexis ence was
p esen ed wi h objec s as e idence. Mapping equipmen and maps ac oss ime and wi h
a ious unc ions we e pu oge he o demons a e an in e ac ion be ween people and
he island and he sea. Pos ca ds and pos e s highligh ing ha bo s, ma i ime goods, and
coas al sal pond p ac ices u he illus a ed he island’s on ological connec ion o he
Figu e 3. P epa a ions o he opening ce emony a he main exhibi ion hall o Oceanic Taiwan. © 2005,
Na ional Museum o His o y.
151
sea. Toge he , hese objec s o e ed a coun e na a i e o he Sinocen ic, con inen al his-
o y ha had domina ed Taiwan’s cul u al na a i e o mo e han hal a cen u y.
Maps o med he cen e piece o Oceanic Taiwan’s na a i e. Spanning di e en his o ical
pe iods, he maps anged om Qing Dynas y depic ions o he island o Japanese colo-
nial ca og aphy and pos -wa Chinese con inen al pe spec i es. This his o ical collec ion
was supplemen ed by con empo a y sa elli e pho og aphs, i idly emphasizing Taiwan’s
geog aphical and cul u al ies o he sea. Pos e s, pos ca ds, ship models, and sea a ing
pamphle s u he unde sco ed he in e connec edness o Taiwan’s people wi h hei ma i-
ime en i onmen , illus a ing he economic and cul u al exchanges shaped by he island’s
posi ion in he Paci ic.
By assembling a wide- anging collec ion o objec s, Oceanic Taiwan p esen ed a na -
a i e dis inc om he Chinese con inen al pe spec i e ha had p e iously pe mea ed
he NMH’s exhibi ions. The exhibi ion’s emphasis on Taiwan’s ma i ime his o y and di-
e se cul u al expe iences highligh ed he island’s on ological ela ionship wi h he sea.
Al hough i did no ully explo e Taiwan’s connec ion o he Paci ic Islands, as implied by
i s i le, he shi om a con inen al o a ma i ime ocus none heless ma ked a signi ican
ans o ma ion in he NMH’s ole as a na ional cul u al ins i u ion. This shi no only
challenged he museum’s his o ical na a i e p ac ices bu also demons a ed i s e ol ing
agency in con ibu ing o Taiwan’s b oade e o s a decoloniza ion and democ a iza ion.
The na a i e
The p e ace o he ca alog by he NMH di ec o Tsung The-gin speci ically s a ed ha
Oceanic Taiwan was o achie e communica ion and syn hesis be ween di e en ields and
ha by p esen ing his exhibi ion, he museum con inued i s adi ion o shedding ligh
on he “daily li es o he o dina y people” (NMH, 2005). Indeed, ocusing on sha ed
cul u e ep esen s he leas p o oca i e decolonizing na a i e o coun e he p e iously
Sinocen ic one. This exhibi ion, in ol ing a ious ac o s in cons uc ing he Taiwanese
ma i ime expe ience, u he ex ended i s each o an in e na ional p ojec ha encom-
passes he expe iences o o dina y people. The p ojec was an on ological ep esen a ion
o Taiwan a he In e na ional A chi ec u e Biennale in Ro e dam (IABR, 2005, p. 99).
The o iginal i le o his in e na ional p ojec by J.M. Lin A chi ec (仲觀聯合建築師事
務所) and NCTU (國立交通大學建築研究所) was “Ocean o Taiwan – om NOwhe e o
NOWhe e.” I s equi ocal e minology sugges ed he ambiguous si ua ion o con empo-
a y Taiwan and i s un esol ed sequen ial colonial expe iences. When inco po a ed in o
Oceanic Taiwan, he concep was ex ended by he NMH cu a o . Wi h a elescopic iew
o he island o Taiwan and i s ex ensi e coas al de elopmen eco ds, his in e ac i e
cen e piece o he Oceanic Taiwan was e amed in o a na a i e o a domes ic audience
o a esh pe spec i e in unde s anding hei cul u e and expe ience.
This na a i e u n was u he ex ended in he p ologue by he Taiwan His o ic Map
Socie y di ec o , Yang Lian- u, in he exhibi ion ca alog. Wi h an opening pa ag aph s a -
ing how he exhibi ion aimed o in oduce an unde ep esen ed his o y o he island, he
a icle included ou sec ions: O igin o Taiwan’s Oceanic Cul u e; His o ical Changes in
Taiwan’s Oceanic Cul u e; Immig a ion, Comme ce, and Di e si y o Cha ac e in Tai-
wan’s Oceanic Cul u e; and Re ela ion o Oceanic Taiwan. By acing he his o y om
Taiwan’s ea lies eco ded encoun e wi h se le s om he sea o he p esen , his na a-
i e emphasized he in e ac ions be ween he island, i s people, and he wo ld.
152
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
Yang’s descen om p e-1949 Chinese immig an s—who li ed h ough bo h Japanese
and Na ionalis Chinese coloniza ion—mi o s he expe ience o he la ges se le g oup
on he island. While hese Han se le s became he p ima y opponen s o pos -wa au-
ho i a ian go e nance du ing Taiwan’s democ a iza ion, he decolonizing p ac ices led
by hese ea lie se le s ha e con inued o ma ginalize Taiwan’s Indigenous peoples, who
ha e deep- oo ed connec ions o he b oade Oceanic egion. This ep esen a ional pa -
adox unde sco es he need o econs uc mo e inclusi e na a i es, highligh ing ha he
oceanic pe spec i e holds g ea e po en ial han how i was con eyed in Oceanic Taiwan.
The in isible
Despi e he econs uc ed cul u al na a i e in Oceanic Taiwan, c i ical gaps in his exhi-
bi ion complex unde sco ed he challenges Taiwan con inues o ace in cons uc ing an
inclusi e, decolonized cul u al na a i e. The i s signi ican omission was he absence o
he NMH’s own collec ion in he assemblage o o e 300 objec s p esen ed in he exhibi-
ion. While special exhibi ions a e no s ic ly equi ed o inco po a e he hos ing museum’s
collec ion, his absence was conspicuous o a museum claiming o ep esen he na ional
his o y o Taiwan. I sugges ed ha he NMH’s es ablished collec ion was incompa ible
wi h he na a i e p oposed by Oceanic Taiwan. This disconnec e ealed he limi a ions o
he museum’s capaci y o eo ien i s p ac ices o align wi h he democ a ized go e nmen ’s
new cul u al go e nance, despi e e o s o c ea e a mo e inclusi e na ional na a i e.
A second no able sho coming was he exhibi ion’s ocus on Han Chinese expe iences,
which e ec i ely edi ec ed he na ional cul u al na a i e om a con inen al o an oceanic
o ien a ion. Howe e , his ocus la gely excluded he deepe connec ions be ween Taiwan
and he b oade oceanic communi y, signaling he p elimina y na u e o e o s o o e come
mul iple colonial and au ho i a ian legacies. Relying hea ily on p i a e collec ions, he ex-
hibi ion was cons ained by he indi idual ideologies and biases o he collec o s, leading o
a lack o ep esen a ion o Taiwan’s Indigenous peoples. Among he 300 objec s, only ou
speci ically add essed Indigenous p esence: a pho og aph and po ai o elde ly Indigenous
women, a model o a Lanyu Island canoe, and an ac ual canoe om Lanyu.
This ma ginal ep esen a ion was pa icula ly p oblema ic gi en ha he languages and
cul u al p ac ices o Taiwan’s Indigenous peoples o m he mos di ec connec ion be ween
Taiwan and he Paci ic islands. These connec ions could ha e p o ided s onge legi imacy
o eo ien ing Taiwan’s cul u al na a i e owa d an oceanic pe spec i e. Ins ead, Oceanic
Taiwan ocused p ima ily on Taiwan’s coas al de elopmen s and his o ical na a i es
beginning wi h he Qing pe iod. The limi ed inclusion o Indigenous ma i ime adi ions
e lec s he NMH’s his o ical lack o a en ion o Taiwan’s Indigenous cul u es, a de iciency
compounded by he museum’s eliance on p i a e collec ions o his exhibi ion.
The NMH, as an ins i u ion, embodied he model o cul u al na a i e cons uc ion unde
au ho i a ian ule in Taiwan. I s collec ing and exhibi ing p ac ices p io o democ a iza ion
we e domina ed by a exhibi ions cen e ed on Chinese cul u e, wi h li le engagemen in
na a i es abou Taiwan’s island iden i y o ma i ime his o y. While he democ a iza ion
p ocess igge ed shi s in cul u al go e nance, hese changes we e ini ially limi ed o em-
phasizing he local dimensions o Chinese cul u e a he han c ea ing an on ological na a-
i e oo ed in Taiwan’s island expe ience. The NMH’s s uc u al de achmen om ma i ime
pe spec i es and Indigenous na a i es impeded i s abili y o con ibu e meaning ully o
Oceanic Taiwan’s objec assemblage.
153
A he same ime, he pe asi e con inen al Chinese na a i e imposed du ing he au ho -
i a ian pe iod appea ed o ha e indi ec ly inspi ed p i a e collec o s o assemble objec s
ha se ed as a coun e na a i e. These p i a ely collec ed objec s illed he gaps le by
he NMH’s Na ionalis colonial p ac ices, bu hei limi a ions e ealed how he au ho i-
a ian se le -colonial s uc u e con inued o haun he c ea ion o new cul u al na a i es.
None heless, Oceanic Taiwan ep esen ed a signi ican s ep in Taiwan’s cul u al decoloni-
za ion p ocess. By excluding he NMH’s collec ion, he exhibi ion diminished he in luence
o he museum’s colonial cha ac e is ics. Mo eo e , he in ol emen o ac o s ou side he
s a e-con olled cul u al adminis a ion sys em decen alized he na a i e, allowing o
g ea e inclusi i y. Oceanic Taiwan demons a ed a unique angle o decolonizing p ac ice in
Taiwan’s museum scene. By composing an objec assemblage ha edi ec s a en ion o Tai-
wan’s ma i ime expe iences, he exhibi ion seeks o os e an island- ocused na ional iden i y.
In his p ocess, bo h he objec s co obo a ing a se le -colonial cons uc and hose o -
e ing coun e na a i es we e indispensable. These objec s no only se ed as b idges o
Taiwan’s pas bu also ac ed as agen s o decoloniza ion, acili a ing he eo ien a ion
o he na ion’s cul u al na a i e. While gaps in ep esen a ion emain, Oceanic Taiwan
exempli ied he challenges and oppo uni ies inhe en in e aming Taiwan’s his o y and
iden i y h ough he lens o he sea, signaling a c ucial shi in he NMH’s ole as a cul u al
ins i u ion.
P ospec s and challenges
Oceanic Taiwan can be unde s ood as a composi e ne wo k o ac o s and e idence,
demons a ing he NMH’s ansi ion om a i ming a con inen al, colonial Chinese na -
a i e o inspi ing a decolonizing, oceanic Taiwanese one. The h ee aspec s o Oceanic
Taiwan highligh key elemen s wi hin he exhibi ion complex ha con ibu e o cul u al
decoloniza ion. By engaging decen alized agen s, cons uc ing an objec -based coun e -
na a i e agains en enched con inen al his o iog aphies, and shi ing i s na a i e o-
wa d an e idence-based island cul u e, Oceanic Taiwan ma ked a signi ican depa u e
om he p omo ion o a e ined Chinese li e a i adi ion. Ins ead, i emb aced Taiwan’s
ma i ime iden i y. These aspec s—along wi h ce ain no able absences—illus a e he Na-
ional Museum o His o y’s e ol ing ole as an agen o change in Taiwan’s cul u al de-
coloniza ion. Oceanic Taiwan demons a es how a na ional museum can embody bo h
colonial ins i u ional p ac ices and he po en ial o decolonizing ein e p e a ion (C aggs
& Win le, 2016). The exhibi ion se es as a eminde o he ongoing and unending p o-
cess o cul u al decoloniza ion.
F om he pa icipa ing agen s o he assemblage o objec s and he shaping o i s na -
a i e, Oceanic Taiwan ma e ialized a eo ien a ion o his o y om a con inen al o an
oceanic pe spec i e. I p esen ed a new cul u al na a i e while enabling an objec assem-
blage ha challenged i s o iginal Sinocen ic se le -colonial amewo k. Examining his
assemblage e eals he e ol ing ole o cul u al ins i u ions as decolonizing agen s, o e -
ing inspi a ion o socie ies na iga ing hei own p ocesses o decoloniza ion. Unde he
p e-democ a iza ion KMT egime, cul u al na ionalism was deeply oo ed in i s Sinocen-
ic ideology, au ho i a ianism, and se le colonial amewo k. Aligned wi h his agenda,
he NMH played a c ucial ole in cons uc ing a Chinese cul u al na a i e – a legacy ha
now equi es c i ical eexamina ion in a pos colonial con ex . The exhibi ion’s di e se
ac o s, e ol ing na a i es, and ins i u ional ne wo ks a es o he mul iple dimensions o
256
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
Building he u u e on he knowledge (and labou ) o he pas
Co al exis s in a dual s a e – i is ali e in i s ecological ole, ye i is cul u ally app ecia ed in
i s pe i ied, ha es ed o m. This duali y b idges he pas , p esen , and u u e, connec ing
ancien p ac ices and adi ions wi h con empo a y conse a ion e o s.
The co ela ion be ween he na u al p ocesses o co al g ow h and human ingenui y un-
de sco es how adap a ion and p og ess a e deeply oo ed in cumula i e endea ou s. In his
ligh , echnological ad ancemen s a ou disposal oday should be seen as an e olu ion o
he accumula ed knowledge o he pas . Unde s anding he pas is no me ely a schola ly
pu sui ; i can also be seen as a ounda ion upon which o mo e ully mas e he ools and
echnologies o he p esen and he u u e.
Dis ega d o he i age and de achmen om he en i onmen al and social con ex o ou
su oundings, ein o ced wi h an o e eliance on echnology, p o es o be de imen al o
indi iduals, as well as o socie y a la ge.
The spa ial and exhibi ion design o CCCZ e lec s a me ging o he adi ional and he con-
empo a y: housed in a his o ic building, i showcases his o ical na a i es and adi ional
sus ainable p ac ices by jux aposing hem. The concep blends adi ional exhibi o ma s
wi h inno a i e ones h ough a and echnology o c ea e a dynamic, hough -p o oking
se ing, in i ing i s isi o s o e lec on hei indi idual he i age and posi ion wi hin cu en
ecological ci cums ances.
This is pa icula ly ele an o en i onmen al p o ec ion, as ou ances o s h i ed by obse -
ing and li ing in ha mony wi h na u e – no me ely o su i e bu o enhance and secu e
hei yields and esou ces. Thei success depended on wo king in solida i y wi h each o he
and on unde s anding na u e’s hy hms, limi s, and s eng hs. Re i alising and unde s and-
ing adi ional knowledge is he e o e a i al s ep owa d os e ing a mo e sus ainable u u e
– one whe e en i onmen al p o ec ion is no seen as a cause o sca ci y, bu as a pa hway
o ensu ing abundance. Achie ing his ision, howe e , equi es a cul u al shi – one ha
emb aces cu iosi y and iews ime as a con inuum, connec ing he pas , p esen , and u u e,
allowing o pos -g ow h unde s andings o de elopmen (Sa ini, 2024).
This is encou aged in a poe ic way a he end o he exhibi ion in he Cen e. The isi o ac-
i a es a mobile co al sculp u e wi h hei b ea h, causing i o begin “b ea hing” i sel . This
is no jus an ecological lesson; i is an in i a ion o adop a new pe spec i e on he wo ld
a ound us – one ha is in e connec ed, non-dual, and dependen on e e y indi idual ha
composes i . I such a mindse guides e e y one o ou ac ions, he e is hope o he island,
o he sea, and o he plane .
Conclusion
The concep o sus ainabili y is cen al o his wo k. I is explo ed no only in e ms o en i-
onmen al conse a ion bu also as a socio-cul u al p inciple ha ensu es he con inui y o
adi ions and equi able esou ce managemen , unde sco ing he impo ance o communi y
pa icipa ion in he i age p ese a ion. This pa icipa o y model aligns wi h sys emic pe -
spec i es in he i age s udies, which emphasise he in e connec edness o cul u al ne wo ks
and social sys ems (Fouseki, 2022). I also wo ks wi h he concep s o he pos -g ow h
pe spec i e in unde s anding wha de elopmen is and wha o s i e o when we discuss
local de elopmen .
257
Fu he mo e, he wo k inco po a es c i ical e lec ions on he ole o echnology in he i age
p ese a ion. While echnological inno a ions o e new possibili ies o in e p e ing and
engaging wi h he i age, hey mus be balanced wi h espec o adi ional knowledge
sys ems. The CCCZ exempli ies his balance by blending his o ical na a i es wi h mode n
echnologies o c ea e imme si e expe iences ha connec isi o s wi h ecological and
cul u al hemes.
This wo k si ua es CCCZ wi hin b oade discussions on museum s udies and he i age heo y.
By d awing on in e disciplina y pe spec i es, i highligh s he po en ial o museums o ac
as ca alys s o ecological awa eness, cul u al e i alisa ion, and communi y empowe men .
Re e ences
Basioli, J. (1984). Riba s o na Jad anu. Zag eb: Znanje.
Benne , T., Came on, F., Dias, N., Dibley, B., Ha ison, R., McCa hy, C. e al. (2017). Collec -
ing, o de ing, go e ning: An h opology, museums, and Libe al go e nmen . Duke Uni-
e si y P ess.
Bilić, T. (2005). Plo idba po geog a skoj ši ini na Medi e anu [La i ude sailing on he Medi e a-
nean]. Op sc la A chaeologica, 29, 121-159.
Bo elli, N., Da is, P., & Dal San o, R. (2022). Ecomuseums and clima e change. Ledizioni, Le-
diPublishing.
B own, K. (2019). Museums and local de elopmen : An in oduc ion o museums, sus ainabili y
and well-being.Museum In e na ional,71(3–4), 1–13.
B own, K., & B own, J. A. (2023). In e na ional collabo a ion be ween ecomuseums and com-
muni y museums. In K. B own, A Cummins, & A. S. González Rueda (Eds.), Commu-
ni ies and museums in he 21s cen u y: Sha ed his o ies and clima e ac ion (pp. 47-61).
Rou ledge.
B own, K., Cummins, A., & González Rueda, A.S. (2023). Communi ies and museums in he
21s cen u y: Sha ed his o ies and ac ion (1s ed.). Rou ledge.
Cu a ić, T. (2021). K apljani lada i podmo ja. Naklada Boško ić.
Da is, P. (2023). Ecomuseums: A sense o place (Chinese Edi ion). China Science and Media
Publishing (CSMP).
Dean, D. (2004). O ljudima mog o oka. Zag eb: Ins i u za mig acije i na odnos i.
D’E co, R. (1862). Pesca del Co allo [Unpublished manusc ip ]. Uni e si y Lib a y Spli A -
chi es.
Dewdney, A., Dibosa, D., & Walsh, V. (2012). Pos -c i ical museology: Theo y and p ac ice in
he a museum. Taylo & F ancis G oup.
Fe nandez-Velasco, P., & Spie s, H. J. (2023). Way inding ac oss ocean and und a: Wha a-
di ional cul u es each us abou na iga ion. T ends in Cogni i e Sciences, 27(10). Cell
P ess.
Fouseki, K., (2022). He i age dynamics. Unde s anding and adap ing o change in di e se he i-
age con ex s. UCL P ess
Gómez, E.M., & Cla k, B.J. (2024). A is ic explo a ions o place: C ea i e p agma ism, an h o-
pology, and uni e si y museums. In C. Hodge & C. K eps (Eds.), P agma ic imagina ion
and he new museum an h opology (1s ed.). Rou ledge.
G aham, H. (2015). Pos -c i ical museology: Theo y and p ac ice in he a museum.Cul u al
T ends,24(1), 101–103.
Iwasaki, N. (2021). P ecious co al and he legacy o he Co al Road. Camb idge Schola s Pub-
lishing.
Kale, J. (2021). Rasp os i anje kul u e: kako ljudi s a aju p os o , Zada : Naklada Slap i
S eučiliš e u Zad u.
Ka p, I., K a z, C. A., Szwaja, L., & Yba a-F aus o, T. (2006). Museum ic ions: Public cul u-
es/global ans o ma ions. Duke Uni e si y P ess.
Ka u ić, A. (2023). The ole o a in clima e change dialogue C oa ian Co al Cen e Zla in: C e-
a ing and inno a ing sus ainable solu ions. ICOM Pa aguay 2023 | Museum Leade ship
in Clima e Ac ion
258
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
Lo ini, P. (1995). Ribanje i iba ske sp a e p i is očnim obalama Jad anskog mo a. Dom i s ije .
Rep in o he 1903 edi ion published by Naklada školskih knjiga in Vienna.
Mazzan i P., & Sani M. (2021). Emo ions and lea ning in museums: A NEMO epo . Ne wo k
o Eu opean Museum O ganisa ions.
McCa hy, C. (2015). Museum p ac ice. Wiley-Blackwell.
McCa hy, C. (2018). Te Papa: Rein en ing New Zealand’s na ional museum 1998–2018. Te
Papa P ess.
Mu aj, A. (1999). Samos alnos i/ili pod eđenos : ambi alencija d uš enog položaja žena na
Zla inu, E nološka ibina 22(29). Godišnjak H a skog e nološkog d uš a.
Pas o e, S. (2020). Beyond he mode n museum. A heo e ical amewo k o a museal landscape
analysis. ICOFOM S udy Se ies, 48(2), 178-192.
Pe ić, J. (1939). Lo ko alja i spuža a u Dalmaciji, Zbo nik za na odne običaje i ži o južnih
Sla ena, knjiga XXXII, Zag eb.
Punge i, G. (2012). Islands, cul u e, landscape and seascape. Jou nal o Ma ine and Island Cul-
u es, 1, 51–54.
Sa ini, F. (2024). Pos -g ow h, deg ow h, he doughnu , and ci cula economy: A sho guide o
policymake s. Jou nal o Ci y Clima e Policy and Economy, 2(2), 113-123
Smi h, C.P., McClu e, S. F., Ea on-Magaña S., & Kondo, D.M. (2007). Pink- o- ed co al: A guide
o de e mining o igin o colo . Gems & Gemology, 43(1): 4-15.
Soa es, B. B. (2021). The my hs o museology: On decons uc ing, econs uc ing, and edis ib-
u ing. ICOFOM S udy Se ies.
T i ella o, F. (2009). The exchange o Medi e anean co al and Indian diamonds. In F. T i ella o,
The amilia i y o s ange s: The Sepha dic Diaspo a, Li o no, and c oss-cul u al ade
in he ea ly mode n pe iod (p. 224-250). Yale Uni e si y P ess.
Viculin, M., Randić Ba lek, M., Ša o ić, Ž., Dučak, D., & Ša o ić, Z. (2022). Tus opizde u
izobilju – ku cogla a ni za lijek: Samoniklo jes i o bilje o oka Zla ina. Uni e si y o
Zag eb Facul y o Ag icul u e / Cen e o Excellence o Biodi e si y and Molecula
Plan B eeding.
Weil, K. (2025). Repai and e i alise: Collabo a ion and ecip oci y o socio-cul u al egene a-
ion in communi y museums in he Global Sou h. In e na ional Jou nal o Cul u al Poli-
cy, 31(4), 517-533
259
Mic omuseology in Les os:
Re lec ing on la ge ideas
h ough “small places”
Alexand a Bounia
Uni e si y o he Aegean – Les os, G eece
[email p o ec ed]
Abs ac
This a icle examines h ee g ass oo s museums on Les os o p opose
a heo y o mic omuseology, highligh ing how small-scale, communi y-
led ins i u ions p ese e pe sonal and collec i e memo y, suppo
in e gene a ional lea ning, and os e cul u al sus ainabili y. These
museums — ocused on esin collec ion, e ugee he i age, and local
olklo e — o e in ima e, emo ionally esonan expe iences, oo ed in
gi economies and pe sonal s o y elling. Despi e lacking p o essional
s anda ds, hey unc ion as i al spaces o iden i y and esilience,
pa icula ly in he absence o o icial na a i es. The au ho a gues hese
mic o-museums challenge dominan museological pa adigms and demand
a e hinking o wha museums a e and whom hey se e.
Keywo ds: mic omuseology, communi y memo y, Les os, cul u al
sus ainabili y, g ass oo s museums
Resumé
Mic omuséologie à Lesbos : Ré lexions su de g andes idées à a e s de «
pe i s lieux ». Ce a icle explo e ois musées communau ai es de Lesbos
pou dé eloppe une héo ie de la mic omuséologie, soulignan commen
ces ins i u ions locales e modes es p ése en la mémoi e collec i e e
indi iduelle, a o isen l’app en issage in e géné a ionnel e sou iennen
la du abili é cul u elle. Les musées, consac és à la ésine, à la mémoi e des
é ugiés e au olklo e local, o en des expé iences in imes e émo ionnelles,
ondées su des dons e des éci s pe sonnels. Bien qu’ama eu s, ils son
essen iels à l’iden i é communau ai e. L’au eu e a i me qu’ils eme en
en cause les pa adigmes muséologiques dominan s e in i en à epense la
mission e le public des musées.
Mo s-clés : mic omuséologie, mémoi e communau ai e, Lesbos, du abili é
cul u elle, musées de p oximi é
_____
260
ICOFOM S udy Se ies 53 1-2
No elis and museum ounde O han Pamuk, in his “Mode n Mani es o o Museums”,
published and enac ed in his Museum o Innocence in Is anbul (2012), highligh s he al-
ues ha he conside s impo an and exci ing abou museums oday. He p oposes mo ing
away om he model o he encyclopaedic a museum (e.g., Lou e, MET, he B i ish
Museum), and ins ead ocusing on museums ha a e small, cen ed on indi iduals and
hei s o ies and “suppo people in u ning hei own small homes and s o ies in o ‘ex-
hibi ion’ spaces” (pa a. 8). I is h ough hese spaces ha he belie es memo ies can be
ansmi ed and meanings can be c ea ed o indi iduals and communi ies alike (Pamuk,
2014). This seems o be exac ly wha has been happening o yea s on he island o Les os
(G eece) and in o he pa s o he coun y and he wo ld. Nume ous small museums a e
being c ea ed by indi iduals and/o small g oups o people who sha e a simila belie in
he need o p ese e hei pe sonal and communi y memo ies and s o ies and sha e hem
wi h o he s, hus “displaying he dep hs o ou humani y” (Pamuk, 2014, pa a. 1).
In his pape , I would like o ocus on h ee such examples o g ass- oo s communi y in-
s i u ions in Les os: he Resin Museum in Ambeliko, a small local communi y ini ia i e
ocusing on he adi ional echniques o esin collec ion and he ela ion o he illage
people o he o es nex o hei illage; he Folklo e Museum o Sykamnia, an ini ia i e
o he local women o p ese e he memo ies o hei communi y and sal age he ma e ial
emains o he pas ; and he Museum o Re ugee Memo y in Skala Lou on, a small ins i-
u ion aiming o commemo a e one o he mos auma ic momen s in he island’s his o y,
he o ced exchange o popula ions be ween G eece and Tu key in 1922-1923 as a esul
o he Con en ion o Lausanne.1 I would like o use hese cases o a gue ha hese ins i u-
ions – small-scale, pe sonalized and g ass oo s – a e impo an agen s o ansmission o
in e gene a ional knowledge, memo ies and belie s, which a e all essen ial o he su i al
and con inuance o he communi ies, hei cul u al p ac ices and alues. I is exac ly hese
p ac ices and alues ha played, and con inue o play, a i al ole in shaping sus ainable
p ac ices o gene a ions.
Howe e , in his pape I chose o discuss hese g ass- oo s museums beyond he lens o
“communi y museology” as such, a pe spec i e ha has a ac ed inc eased a en ion he
las se e al decades (see B own, 2019). I would like o a gue ha hese small ins i u ions
o e hei own museological pe spec i es, hei own mic omuseologies, ha is, a speci ic
way o cons uc ing museum meaning in a pe sonal ye communi y de ined manne ( o
he e m see Candlin, 2016, and discussion below). Fu he mo e, I would like o a gue
ha hese mic omuseums p o ide impo an insigh s in o wha a museum is and how i
can suppo i s communi y, in ways ha a e complica ed and much mo e nuanced han
we migh ini ially hink, based on hei le el o p o essionaliza ion, hei loca ion o small
scale (see also B own, 2019, p. 6). My aim is no o oman icize hese ins i u ions – which
all aim o become p o essional, as pe in e iews conduc ed wi h hei ounde s – bu o
a gue ha by esea ching small ins i u ions like hese we migh each deepe in o wha
museums a e and o whom, and o econ igu e p ac ices and belie s ega ding hei p es-
en and u u e (see also Weil e al., 2024).
1 The “Con en ion conce ning he exchange o G eek and Tu key popula ions” was signed in
Lausanne on Janua y 30, 1923, by he go e nmen s o G eece and Tu key and a ec ed 1,6 million people:
almos 1,2 millions o G eek O hodox people om Asia Mino , Eas e n T ace, he Pon ic Alps and he
Caucasus as well as almos 400,000 Muslims om G eece we e o ced o lea e hei homelands and become
e ugees.
261
A e a b ie p esen a ion o he island o Les os, whe e he case s udies a e loca ed, and
i s museums, I will discuss he idea o mic omuseology and how he s udy o hese small
ins i u ions can ( e-)shape ou unde s anding o museums and museology a la ge. Then,
I will ocus on each o he case s udies o iden i y hose elemen s ha p o ide new insigh s
in o he unde s anding o museums, be o e discussing hei possible inpu in o con empo-
a y discou ses and sugges ing some ideas o u he esea ch.
The island o Les os and i s museums
Les os is a G eek island loca ed in he no h-eas pa o he Aegean Sea. I is he hi d
bigges island o he coun y, and i is cha ac e ized by ich biodi e si y, unique na u al
landscapes and di e se cul u al he i age. Fu he mo e, i has a long his o y o mo emen s
o popula ions, as i is loca ed a he c oss oads be ween Eu ope and Asia and has been
a he o e on o majo his o ical e en s ha ha e a ec ed he syn hesis o he local
popula ion as well as hei unde s anding o iden i y and communi y. The mos ele an
o hese e en s was he 1922-1923 exchange o popula ions be ween G eece and Tu key.
Recen esea ch by he Uni e si y o he Aegean (Despo elli, 2020) eco ded 61 museums
and collec ions, wi h mo e han 35 es ablished by indi iduals o small communi y g oups,
demons a ing he islande s’ commi men o p ese ing memo y and iden i y h ough
g ass oo s museology.
Al hough a mo e de ailed ca ego iza ion and s udy o hese museums and collec ions is e-
qui ed, hei numbe alone makes clea how impo an he local people conside museums
o be. Each o hese ins i u ions se es as an impo an ca alys o he c ea ion and dis-
semina ion o knowledge, alues and memo ies, while os e ing he island’s cul u al and
na u al esilience. The e o e, he communi y museums o he island se e as pla o ms
o p ese ing and sha ing adi ional knowledge ela ed o he land and he s o ies o i s
people. I is usually elde ly membe s o he communi y who ha e c ea ed hese museums
as e o s o p ese e he memo y o hei pas and he alues o “ hei people” and o
ans e hese o younge gene a ions. Thus, hey aim o suppo he u u e o hei com-
muni ies, which hey unde s and as closely linked o hei pas , bu also hold on o hings
and ideas ha gi e hem hei special place and/o e en -de ined iden i y.
Mic omuseology: Looking a he “la ge pic u e” h ough small places
The idea o mic omuseology was in oduced by Fiona Candlin (2016) in he book o he
same i le. Candlin s a s wi h he assump ion ha s udying small ins i u ions, es ablished
and ope a ing ou side he no ms o la ge-scale, p o essional ones, can ha e an impac on
e-de ining museology. She desc ibes hese ins i u ions as ollows:
small, independen , single-subjec museums … collec ions ha a e a iously un
by us s, businesses, special in e es g oups, and p i a e indi iduals, and a e open
o he public; ha concen a e on ypes o objec s, hemes, o indi iduals, ha all
ou side o he adi ional academic compass, occupy a low le el in he hie a chy o
adi ional academic classi ica o y ables, o ha ake a non-schola ly app oach o
subjec s ha could be encompassed by academe; and, inally, a e small inso a as
hey ha e ela i ely low isi o numbe s and/o modes incomes and/o occupy a
physical limi ed space. (2016, p. 12)
[Document text truncated for crawler view.]
