It was encouraging to hear about the establishment of a preparatory office for the National Indigenous Peoples’ Museum, which is to be constructed north of Kaohsiung’s Chengcing Lake (澄清湖). The office’s establishment has attracted a lot of public attention surrounding the museum’s design and development. However, a museum is more than a static exhibition space — it should also serve as a home for collective memories, a platform of cultural exchange and a crucial foundation for indigenous groups as they look forward to the future.
For a museum to truly belong to indigenous people, it should tell cultural stories with its architectural design. Its exterior should incorporate elements of traditional indigenous dwellings, along with images of mountains and oceans or ancestral totems, allowing visitors to feel the spirit of indigenous groups upon approaching. Entering the museum should feel like a journey through daily village life — from oral histories passed down by elders to hunting rituals and traditional arts — allowing the culture to naturally flow between visitors’ every step.
In our digital age, a museum for indigenous people should also make good use of technology. Through the use of augmented reality, virtual reality and interactive projections, young visitors could do more than just view the exhibitions — they could participate in traditional harvest festivals or step onto tribal hunting grounds. Technology is not merely a supportive or supplementary tool for exhibitions — it is key to the rebirth of cultural acceptance and understanding.
That being said, the core focus of a museum should never be the objects on display, but the people. In the past, many stories about indigenous people were told by outsiders, leading to the oversimplification and distortion of indigenous cultures. Future museums must allow indigenous people to tell their own stories. From design and curation to guided tours, indigenous people must take center stage. Only then can a museum truly become a source of pride and a home for indigenous communities.
More importantly, a museum should not merely be a place for exhibitions — it should reach into communities and connect with local life. Through tribal tours, handmade craft workshops and even integration with indigenous cultural tourism, more people can engage with indigenous cultures firsthand, thereby creating more opportunities for local communities to grow and thrive.
Shifting focus to the international stage, Taiwan’s indigenous groups are a vital part of the global Austronesian language family. Indigenous people’s museums can also serve as a window to cultural diplomacy. By organizing international exhibitions, curatorial collaborations and digital collections, Taiwan can make its voice heard on the Austronesian cultural map and share its own story with the world.
Yu Tien-min is an assistant professor at Da-Yeh University.
Translated by Kyra Gustavsen
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