Material culture from the Pacific to the Netherlands: Representation, relationships and respect

The creation of ethnographic museums in Europe emerged largely under colonial aspirations by which collecting practices were shaped. It is no different for the Pacific objects in the Netherlands, a country where the legacies of the colonial past are at the forefront of public, political and cultural debates. This article will discuss the politics behind working with Oceanic material culture in this specifically Dutch context, demonstrating that activating collections from Oceania and engaging in conversation with Māori, Papuans, Aboriginal Australians, Rapanui and Indigenous contemporary Pacific Island artists presents possibilities for generating new futures in the wake of these Dutch colonial legacies. Firstly, the connected issues of representation, collaboration and co-creation will be addressed. In so doing, the idea of authority – who is speaking for whom? – will come to the fore, as well as the ambassadorial role of objects and the possibilities of restitution. Secondly, I will consider museums as places that unite spaces of academic and public discourses, and of Indigenous and western knowledge. In short, the relationship-building potential of museums with Pacific material culture will be explored. Lastly, I consider the notion of respect with reference to the ethnographic museum’s decolonizing mission.