People and Plants: reactivating ethnobotanical collections as material archives of indigenous ecological knowledge

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Many anthropology collections contain objects often considered the domain of botanical gardens or natural history museums. These ethnobotanical collections can languish as museum professionals struggle with how to research and curate them. Considering the interplay between natural history and ethnography collections, this project builds on a re-emerging interest in indigenous ecology and the value of ethnobotanical collections as material archives of indigenous ecological knowledge.Situating itself within current debates on decolonising the practice and method of museum work, this project aims to create a conversation between academics, researchers, museum professionals, botanists, and indigenous knowledge holders to establish the relevance of these collections in the present, and their potential applications for the future.Three two-day workshops will be held during 2021/22 at The Powell-Cotton Museum in Kent, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and National Museums Scotland. The project is a partnership between researchers at these three organisations. The project is also in partnership with the Museum Ethnographers Group (MEG) and the Natural Sciences Collections Association (NatSCA), both recognized subject specialist networks (SSN) within the museum sector. We will involve representatives of heritage and environmental organisations including the Museu Goeldi in Brazil, the National Museum of Australia, the Australian Tropical Herbarium, and NOMAD project in the UK which works with engaging Somali communities in heritage projects. The project will benefit from the connections of these SSNs, museums and community groups through their ability to shape and inform museum practice in relation to these interdisciplinary collections.