Reparation for Guinea-Bissau: Museums Before Artifacts
The global debate over the restitution of African artifacts must shift its focus from the physical return of objects to the structural empowerment of the nations involved, according to Ana Temudo, a collaborating researcher at the Institute of Contemporary History (IHC).
Beyond Materiality
Speaking with the Lusa news agency, Temudo argued that for Guinea-Bissau, historical reparation cannot simply be about shipping crates of artifacts back to a country that lacks the infrastructure to house them. Instead, she calls for economic and structural cooperation that enables the nation to manage its own cultural legacy.
Currently, Guinea-Bissau lacks the museums and memory institutions required to conserve returned objects. “Culture is not a government priority [there],” Temudo explained, noting that the country is still grappling with models inherited from the colonial era due to a lack of funding, time, and resources.
The Urgency of Infrastructure
Temudo highlighted a disconnect between Western perspectives and the daily reality in Guinea-Bissau. While Western activists may prioritize the immediate return of objects, many Bissau-Guineans have different priorities.
“When they tell me things that are often seen as controversial in our context—such as ‘restitution is not an urgency, but having functioning museums is’—it is often misinterpreted here as ‘they don’t want the objects,'” Temudo said. “They do want the objects, but before the objects, they need other things.”
She warned that restitution is often framed in a way that serves the conscience of the West more than the needs of African countries. True reparation, she argues, must translate into improved living conditions and genuine cultural autonomy.
Investing in Living Culture
While countries like Senegal and Benin have developed museum networks, Temudo suggests that Guinea-Bissau’s immediate support should focus on intangible heritage. Unlike artifacts, music and dance do not require climate-controlled buildings to thrive.
“Music and dance happen everywhere; they don’t need infrastructure or outside permission,” she noted. She proposed pragmatic steps for European partners, such as financing international tours for the National Ballet or supporting local visual artists and musicians seeking to exhibit abroad.
Challenging the “Crystallized” View
The researcher also challenged the Western tendency to view Bissau-Guinean culture as a frozen, ethnographic curiosity. She described a living, dynamic ecosystem heavily influenced by globalization.
“We have kids in villages wearing Chicago Bulls t-shirts, wanting to learn English,” she said. “In the villages, you hear Brazilian soap operas and music from all over the world.” Any modern ethnographic museum in the country must reflect this current reality rather than a romanticized past.
A Call for Collaboration
To achieve fair reparation, Temudo calls for a breakdown of the rigid power structures within academia and museums. She advocates for hiring younger staff capable of conducting fieldwork and building horizontal alliances with local communities.
“Otherwise, we will always be imposing our vision and our reading,” Temudo concluded. “It will always be a vision that is distant and does not do justice to the local reality.”
Image: Pexels – Mahmoud Yahyaoui
