Seventeenth International Conference on the Inclusive Museum

Abstract

In this paper, I advocate engaging in reparative descriptive work within ethnographic museums’ online collections databases. Word searches have created near-infinite ways for internet users to group and categorize museum artifacts, including colonially collected objects with language dating back to the time of acquisition. I present a case study taken from my Master’s research, where I conducted a word search for “magic” in the collections online databases of two British museums (the British Museum and the Pitt Rivers Museum). I first reference the complex biography of magic as a category and its relationship to ethnographic collecting, before delving into the nuanced ritual practice of the artifacts in question. I ultimately conclude that the uncritical deployment of Western terms to categorize a geographic diversity of artifacts may inadvertently pathologize non-Western rituals and objects, perpetuating colonial biases and epistemic violence within museum narratives. By shedding light on these issues, I hope to contribute to ongoing discussions on museum reform and underscore the urgency for reparative action within archival description, particularly as museums are rapidly digitizing their archives and making their collections available to the public. I emphasize the importance of critically reassessing terminologies beyond exhibition labels to ensure that online collections avoid hegemonic bias/reductionism and reflect diverse cultural knowledge systems.