Indigenous Futures: Towards Policy on Ancestral Remains in the Netherlands

The ancestral remains held in the collection of the Wereldmuseum were largely collected during the time of slavery and colonialism for the purposes of formulating a hierarchical theory of race in which white Europeans were afforded the highest position. Due to this history, the Wereldmuseum is compelled by a deep responsibility to contribute to the restitution of ancestral remains in its collection, since they are people with stories, with relationships and with spiritual and cultural significance. For many communities, the presence of ancestral remains in European museums is linked to painful histories of loss, displacement and injustice. Enabled by the unequal power relations of the period, colonisers took objects, some of which were considered ancestors, often without permission and by force, from the people in spaces under colonial occupation. Thus, museums across Europe that are rooted in these racist ethnographies, like the Wereldmuseum, are currently dealing with the inheritance of these collections, which includes ancestral remains. 

Since 2021 there is an active policy on the restitution of colonial objects in place in the Netherlands. When this policy framework was developed, it was decided there needed to be a separate policy on ancestral remains. This separate policy is currently being developed and the main goal of this workshop is therefore to shape this future policy. Because of the way in which ancestral remains entered museum collections, developing a national policy framework for their treatment in the Netherlands necessitates centring the perspectives of Indigenous and formerly colonised people. The proposed international workshop thus has as its central aim to prominently foreground these voices. With this workshop, we aim to bring some of the most cutting-edge theory and policy input on this theme together, to understand current policy frameworks in other localities and contemporary (institutional) restitution practices to develop a more comprehensive national policy shaped by Indigenous people from across the world.

We are committed to making this event accessible to everyone. If you require specific accommodations to participate fully, please reach out to us at rcmc@wereldmuseum.nl by 1 May or indicate your needs on the registration form.

Provisions for people with reduced mobility

• Stairs with handrail
• Accessible lift
• Barrier-free building and passageways that are sufficiently wide
• Wheelchair-friendly restroom

Quiet rooms

There are two quiet spaces which can be used by workshop attendees to take a break at any point. Directly opposite the conference room on the first floor, the Buddha Room offers a tranquil space. On the ground floor, at the end of the museum café, the Museum Lounge can be used to take a break. We cannot guarantee complete silence due to other visitors in the museum.