Topic: Museum-Based Approaches to Indigenous Cultural Revitalization

Editorial Note

"Museum as an approach" refers to the utilization of a museum's resources and expertise such as collection, research, curation, and promotion to achieve specific goals. With the topical focus of this issue, we aim to explore how the concept of "museum as an approach" can be effectively employed to contribute to the revitalization of indigenous cultures. Global statistics from the United Nations reveal that more than 476 million indigenous people inhabit over 90 countries, constituting 6.2% of global population. In the case of Taiwan, data from the Ministry of the Interior in 2022 indicates that indigenous people comprise 2.51% of the national population. For a long time, the diverse languages, cultures, beliefs, and bodies of knowledge of indigenous communities have been persecuted by colonial powers. Their values, rights, and land justice are constantly under threat.

The process of indigenous cultural revitalization involves not only the restoration of traditional languages and knowledge systems but also the fostering of ethnic identity, a sense of pride and belonging within these communities. This process also opens up opportunities for reconciliation with non-indigenous groups, mutual recognition, and acceptance. Traditional museums have been critiqued for marginalizing, turning a blind eye to or downplaying indigenous issues, inadvertently perpetuating stereotypes, stigma, and discrimination. However, contemporary museums are now engaging in introspection and are demonstrating a willingness to challenge their pre-existing frameworks of knowledge to drive transformative change.

Three articles of this issue examine cases of diverse practices in contemporary Asia-Pacific museums, spanning Japan, Taiwan, and Australia. The essay titled Write Our Own Story – From Lawbubulu Exhibition to the Kialreba Exhibition," authored by Dresedrese Celrevege, the director of the Rukai Culture Museum in Wutai Township, Pingtung County as well as a champion of indigenous culture, delves into the planning process the two collaborative exhibitions between the Rukai museum and the National Taiwan Museum. These collaborations have facilitated a reexamination of the meaning and narratives behind cultural artifacts. The process not only illuminated a path for an indigenous group in search of identity but also opened up new opportunities for cooperation between national and local cultural institutions.

Another article, Promoting Interethnic Reconciliation and Inclusiveness: Examining the Framework of Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs) in Australian Museums, authored by the FIHRMAP website editorial team, introduces the "Reconciliation Action Plans" (RAPs) adopted by multiple Australian museums. The article outlines the framework of RAPs and discusses the approaches taken by the Museum of Australian Democracy, the Australian National Maritime Museum, and the Australian Museum. Their practice offers insight into the diverse strategies employed by museums in their pathways toward indigenous reconciliation.

In the featured essay, Living as an Ainu——Grandma's Wisdom & A Message from the Museum, author Akemi Oshino, a cultural heritage preservation worker from the Hokkaido-Mukawa region in Japan and a staff member at the Upopoy National Ainu Museum, shares personal lived experiences. Reflecting on inspiration from her grandmother and how she started working at the Upopoy National Ainu Museum, she shares her efforts in the revitalization of Ainu culture, cultural promotion, and her objectives.