Racism is a significant problem in modern societies. People of all, although mainly non-Western European cultures, are discriminated against on a daily basis, based on their skin colour, religion...Show moreRacism is a significant problem in modern societies. People of all, although mainly non-Western European cultures, are discriminated against on a daily basis, based on their skin colour, religion and other characteristics. This thesis aims to assess the suitability of the museum to counteract racism against people of African descent. Placing museum exhibition into the context of modern museology and social priorities it asks: How are the memories and legacies of the transatlantic slave trade as an example of sensitive heritage curated in museums in the Netherlands and Britain today, and how could this be used to counteract modern racism? In this context, sensitive heritage is that heritage which is embedded with conflicting emotions on different sides and should approached sensibly. The racism debate restricts itself to racist behaviour against people of African descent, because racism based on external features developed during the age of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade. Two exhibitions, Afterlives of slavery in the Netherlands, and the International Slavery Museum in Britain, have been subjected to analysis based on their chosen perspectives, the connection they made between past and present, and the extent to which they actively engage the visitor in the exhibition and beyond. The ISM has a broader geographical perspective, but is mainly Eurocentric. AoS is multiperspective in point of view, but lacks detail due to its small scale. Both exhibitions create a link between past and present, although the ISM focusses on the positive legacies, whereas AoS specifically addresses racism. Although both museums invite the visitor to leave their opinion, there is little other active engagement and there is no stimulation to take the dialogue outside the museum. Nonetheless, the analysis has shown that a museum, by its intrinsic subjectivity does have the potential to contribute to the understanding of the origins of racism and its modern consequences. This understanding, if taken outside the museum can contribute to the diminishing of racism.Show less
The repatriation of Native American human remains sparked a debate between the scientific community and Native Americans. There are various issues that need to be addressed, in order to find true...Show moreThe repatriation of Native American human remains sparked a debate between the scientific community and Native Americans. There are various issues that need to be addressed, in order to find true compromise. The apparent need to gain a more in depth understanding of the debate can be achieved through establishing an overview of the issues and stakeholders involved. In my Bachelor Thesis, which I am writing under the supervision of Dr. G.D.J. Llanes Ortiz, I will discuss the ongoing debate through conducting a literature study. In this I will look at important figures within the debate and the main issues that the debate presents. The legal dimension of the debate will be discussed in terms of the human and Indigenous rights perspective. In the USA, a legislative framework, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, is in place for the process of the repatriation of Native American human remains. The Bachelor Thesis is written as part of my Bachelor program at the Faculty of Archaeology at Leiden University.Show less
The display of Suriname at the International Colonial and Export Trade Exhibition in 1883 in Amsterdam can be identified as a root cause to the aphasia and cultural archive of the Netherlands....Show moreThe display of Suriname at the International Colonial and Export Trade Exhibition in 1883 in Amsterdam can be identified as a root cause to the aphasia and cultural archive of the Netherlands. Laura Ann Stoler’s 2011 colonial aphasia is reframed to mean cultural aphasia, and this theory paired with Gloria Wekker’s Dutch cultural archive will drive the discussion in this thesis. Through the concepts of Orientalism, Primitivism, the ‘spectacular’, and the ‘other’, this thesis will examine the means of display used in the exhibition. This thesis begins with a look at the history of the Netherlands highlights the root causes of this aphasia, and through its persistence the Netherlands viewed itself a small, innocent nation when compared to other European powers. This view of themselves led to a lack of acknowledgement of the realities of colonialism. Following decades under the rule of Habsburg Spain, the Netherlands believed they had experienced colonialism themselves and set out not to do the same abroad. Nevertheless, this was not the case, and the Netherlands would become a large colonial power. This active disassociation with reality further translates itself in the writing and major exhibitions during the nineteenth century. These traveler accounts offer a direct look at the perspectives of the Dutch West Indies from several perspectives. A thorough explanation of early anthropology and major exhibitions proceeding the International Colonial and Export Trade Exhibition in 1883 are given to provide its inspiration. The economic prosperity from colonies allowed for the rapid modernization of Amsterdam, and a large event was wanted to display such wealth. This exhibition was unique because the colonies were the main topic while earlier events cared more for demonstrating cultural and racial variation. Anthropology coincides with colonialism, and its participation in this particular exhibition goes further to objectify the colonies and their inhabitants. A close look at several traveler accounts also demonstrates the persistence of rhetoric and perspective in the Western Hemisphere about the colonies. A comprehensive analysis of the International Colonial and Export Trade Exhibition in 1883 in Amsterdam will be done to showcase the melding of aphasia and anthropology in the Netherlands. The 1883 black and white image of Johannes Kojo by Friedrich Carol Hisgen, part of Roland Bonaparte’s study of the Surinamese at the exhibition, will be used to understand the display of Suriname in their Rotunda circus tent. Understanding the notion of placement will be used to study the exhibition and its curatorial decisions. The whole of the exhibition is explained along with a description of how the Indonesian kampong was constructed under the guise of Orientalism. The differing Primitivism will demonstrate to be the driving force behind the curatorial decisions of the Rotunda. With how Suriname was presented, ideas of Western superiority fueled by anthropology were placed within the Rotunda itself to translate to the public the power and wealth of the Netherlands. As a whole, this thesis will demonstrate how the Netherlands was different in its construction of its cultural archive through a dominating eventual aphasia, and its implications into contemporary colonial memory.Show less
Today, we still live in a world of colonisers and colonised. The colonising mentality is still very much present even if most of us are oblivious of it. Some minority groups are vulnerable to this...Show moreToday, we still live in a world of colonisers and colonised. The colonising mentality is still very much present even if most of us are oblivious of it. Some minority groups are vulnerable to this philosophy as they can get assimilated or oppressed by larger groups of people. Indigenous Peoples, which is a broad term used to unify all Peoples native to a land which was colonised by foreigners, continue to be under threat of losing cultural traits from an undesired assimilation. This MA thesis explores the relations between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional knowledge on plants with foreign corporations and states and their medicinal knowledge. It is common for states to fund research on Indigenous lands in order to acquire their knowledge on medicinal plants. This is part of the larger type of research which we call bioprospecting. This process becomes problematic because the approach can infringe Indigenous Peoples rights. Biopiracy, which involves the theft of Indigenous knowledge on biological materials, is common within bioprospecting. The early 1990’s had seen a legal turn which was favorable for Indigenous Peoples in defending their rights against this said biopiracy. By combining many international legal instruments, it is possible to frame unlawful behavior by foreign corporations, but it seems very difficult to do so with one single instrument. So, this young legal framework still needs to be developed. After reviewing a handful of cases, some of which happened before the implementation of law on this topic, a few things were more obvious than others. First, the new legal instruments made a difference as we saw a change towards a respectful approach in more recent years. Second, although benefits are not explicitly displayed by the case studies, which were all ultimately failures, all parties involved should have access to equitable benefits if all laws and ethics are followed. One of the most important steps to follow in order to respectfully carry on with a bioprospecting project is the concept of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC). The latter is imperative for a peaceful and respectful relationship between the parties involved, whether it is the foreign visitors or the native Peoples. Finally, the most important insight which is understood by the comparison of these cases is the prominent clash between “Western” philosophy and Indigenous philosophies. This brings us back to the colonial mindset most of us still have today. Many take their lifestyle for granted and assume that everyone has the same way of life. Evidently, the cases disprove this claim, as Indigenous knowledge is often assumed to be the same as science, which it is not. It is by acknowledging this that on-site practices must be changed. Indigenous knowledge and science can work together in the same realm only if no party assumes that their ways are better than the other’s.Show less
