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You cannot preserve culture, you can only live it. The act of living our culture carries it forward through time.
I don't remember where and from whom I first heard this (which is important - we must remember who taught us things so they are remembered too) but I feel it in my bones
I am not an Ethnographic Conservator. I have that word, but that's another matter. My Western museological title is Objects Conservator. I specialize in Indigenous belongings care and preservation.
It was a natural progression, I didn't really set out to become that but a large percentage of artifacts in North American collections are First Nations, Metis, or Inuit belongings.
I have complex, knotted up feelings about that. On the one hand I am grateful that I get to care for the embodiment of ancestors. It has rarely been my ancestors, but now I am caring for the ancestors of the folks that I am neighbours with)
But on the other hand, I have worked at museums where I don't know the ancestors. I don't belong to them, I was not their neighbour, they didn't know I was the one caring for their belongings. I was just some scientist/art technician making decisions about someone's grandfather
You cannot preserve culture. This I know to be a universal truth. I can only care for the physical object I am a steward of. I must try to approach my work and life in a good way so I can maybe receive teachings from community members that will help me care for their ancestors
I approach my work knowing full well that the community can give me the boot at any time, for any reason. I am good with that. I know that if I am not the right person to care for their ancestors and belongings, then I must make way for the right person.
I hope that #Artconservator #Objectconservator will read these words and feel them in your hearts. I hope you approach your work today in a good way and think about who we are "preserving culture" for
