Original scientific paper

Aboriginal Material Culture in Australian Museums

Leonarda Kovačić ; University of Melbourne, Australia

Abstract

The origin of Aboriginal collections in Australia and overseas hes recently become the subject of numerous stusies. Colonial museums have become intricatly linked to the colonial practices of disposession and appropriation, and museum interpretations od indigenous peoples' history have been brought under scrutiny. This paper explores the tradition of collecting, classifying, documenting, storing, displaying and protecting. Aboriginal material culture in Australian museums and other institutions. This tradition, developed from the nineteenth century colonial discourse, represents onhoing challenges for curators and Aboriginal communities alike. As meeting places of European and indigenous cultures, museums remain important landmarks in the history of indigenous peoples and cultural institionalism.

Keywords

museum collections; Aboriginals (Australia); colonial museums; museum ethics; musum praxis; acquisition of museum materials; documenting of collections; classifying of collections

Hrčak ID:

36891

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/36891

Publication date:

5.1.2002.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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