Forgiven Not Forgotten
Theme: Museums
Questions:
Museums have been viewed as "sites of memories" that "block the work of forgetting." How can museums, which have often originated as colonial collections of artifacts, provide an ethical narrative of Indigenous history? Provide a few examples of how this can be achieved.
Answer:
One of the many takeaways I get from class is this wrongfulness and unjustified understanding of collection these colonial groups have participated in throughout the centuries. From plundering to taking a souvenir to show the family back home, the colonial collection just really puts a real strain on the human story we (as archeologists/ cultural heritage groups) are trying to piece together. Now I am not saying all ways of the collection is bad, nor am I saying it is perfectly fine to take without really asking it just is mind-boggling to see or hear about the conception of museums (how dark it is). Today I am proud to say that there is some shift in the usefulness of collection through the consultation with various indigenous groups when asking to present artwork or artifacts found in the region of the indigenous peoples. It provides young museum-goers like myself to have a rich and meaningful understanding of the interaction of the western thinkers and non-western actors/prime movers in this case. In some cases, this can mean I could look at a spoon with a more critical eye rather than disregarding it as a mundane object. To sum up, my thoughts acknowledging the colonial collection were negative (which was forgiven) but it is turning into a positive (but not forgotten).
By: Nicholas Bosco
