Colonial Legacies in Museums and the Pursuit of Narrative Justice

Gilbert, Isabel (2025) Colonial Legacies in Museums and the Pursuit of Narrative Justice. In: Rights and Justice Festival, 08/07/2025, The Hive, Worcester. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

In claiming to represent ‘history’ in any objective sense, museums face a particular, ongoing challenge. For each institution, and each intervention carried out therein, a narrative is constructed which may represent a period, event or movement in history. However, such work is inevitably influenced by the privileges, experiences and knowledge of those responsible for its creation. Colonialism and the violence which underpins much of its legacy is strongly connected to the construction of narratives which ultimately glorify the white, European cultural hegemony. In addition, such stories are frequently told through the display and interpretation of objects which have been taken from originating communities through exploitation and subjugation. In almost all cases, the heritage sector has therefore been complicit in the perpetuation of harmful practices and narratives which further embed colonial attitudes and centre whiteness. This paper asks how museums and heritage sites can facilitate the presence of diverse, indigenous voices within the sector in the pursuit of narrative justice.

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