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Borneo Studies in History, Society and Culture pp 211–234Cite as

The Real and the Ideal: Towards Culturally Appropriate and Collaborative Heritage Practice in Kalimantan

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Part of the book series: Asia in Transition ((AT,volume 4))

Abstract

This chapter critically examines changing approaches to museum development and heritage work in Kalimantan. The first part consists of an excerpt from my book Liberating culture: cross-cultural perspectives on museums, curation, and heritage preservation (2003). The book is based on ethnographic research conducted on the Provincial Museum of Central Kalimantan, Museum Balanga from January 1991 to August 1992. The second part, with the first serving as background, describes my work with the Dayak Ikat Weaving Project and the Museum Kapuas Raya, both based in Sintang, West Kalimantan in 2002, 2003 and 2008. These last two projects highlight the pivotal role international cooperation and collaboration play in these museum and heritage initiatives. Taken together, the case studies illustrate how museum ethnography, or the application of ethnographic research methods to the study of museums and museological processes and practices, can provide valuable insights into local conditions and the realities of what is happening on the ground. I show how museum ethnography is not only the basis for critical analysis but also for change in the direction of more culturally appropriate, collaborative, and participatory approaches. I conclude, however, that these approaches remain largely an ideal, or aspiration, without sufficient knowledge of local contexts and time to get to know a community and its specific needs and interests.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Novia Sagita’s study at the University of Denver was funded by a fellowship from the Asian Cultural Council based in New York.

  2. 2.

    The tendency to speak of ‘community’ and ‘communities’ in monolithic terms and as homogenous units has now been subjected to a thorough critique in the museum studies and anthropological literature. See, for example, Karp, Kreamer, and Lavine (1992), Crooke (2006), Watson (2007).

  3. 3.

    It should be noted here that I was well acquainted with the history and work of the Tropenmuseum because I had conducted research at the museum from January to August 1987 for my master’s thesis ‘Decolonizing museums: the Dutch example’ (1988). I had maintained ongoing relationships with several members of the Tropenmuseum staff since that time, and suggested that Father Maessen contact the museum for possible support and guidance.

  4. 4.

    Throughout her chapter, van Hout critically reflects on her role in the project as a representative of former Dutch colonisers, and how colonial/postcolonial power relationships might have influenced the dynamics in the project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Arts and Administration Program, University of Oregon, Eugene, USA

    Christina Kreps

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  1. Christina Kreps
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Correspondence to Christina Kreps .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Institute of Asian Studies, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, Gadong, Brunei Darussalam

    Victor T. King

  2. Professor of Anthropology, Institute of Asian Studies and Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, Gadong, Brunei Darussalam

    Zawawi Ibrahim

  3. Lecturer at Geography and Development and Environmental Studies, Institute of Asian Studies and Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, Gadong, Brunei Darussalam

    Noor Hasharina Hassan

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Kreps, C. (2017). The Real and the Ideal: Towards Culturally Appropriate and Collaborative Heritage Practice in Kalimantan. In: King, V., Ibrahim, Z., Hassan, N. (eds) Borneo Studies in History, Society and Culture. Asia in Transition, vol 4. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0672-2_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0672-2_9

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