INTRODUCING COLLECTING THE COMMUNITY
Dufferin County, where the Museum of Dufferin (MoD) is located, is on the ancestral territory of the Wyandotte/Wendat, Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabeg, and Mississauga nations. In the early 1800s, the land that would become Dufferin County was settled by mostly Irish, Scottish, and English immigrants. By the mid-to late-twentieth century, immigration from non-European countries increased. According to Statistics Canada, between 2011 and 2016, the county’s population increased by 8.5%, with immigration from Asia accounting for more than half (51.6%). In 2016, Shelburne was the most ethnically diverse in the county, with 18% of its population identifying as a visible minority. When the 2021 Census results are released and considered, these numbers are sure to be higher. Despite the county’s growing ethnically diverse population, the MoD has historically collected and interpreted the history of European settlers and descendants, while excluding others.
What is a Museum?
The concept of modern museums has colonial beginnings; it began as a way for private collectors to display their items that were purchased, gifted, or stolen from colonized countries and peoples. Take for example the history of the British Museum, which started as a Cabinet of Curiosities in 1753 and consisted of over 71,000 objects from the personal collection of Sir Hans Sloane. Sloane was an Anglo-Irish physician and naturalist who began collecting in 1687 when he sailed for Jamaica to work as a doctor on slave plantations. With the help of English planters and enslaved West Africans, he built a collection of 800 plant specimens, animals, and other objects. He later married Elizabeth Langley Rose who was an heiress to sugar plantations in Jamaica worked by enslaved people. Sloane benefitted from the profits from these plantations, which gave him the ability to continue collecting. Prior to his death, he willed his collection to King George II for the nation on the condition that a public museum be created to house it, eventually becoming the British Museum as we know it today. This is only one example of a collection at the British Museum with problematic origins; others include the Benin Bronzes and the Parthenon Sculptures. The founding of many museums, new or old, have comparable stories to the British Museum. Even if objects were not acquired in problematic ways, museums have also been known to only interpret wealthy white European settlers, often men. By focusing on one aspect of history, museums have (un)intentionally contributed to the erasure of the history of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC).
Today, the International Council of Museum defines a museum as “a non-profit, permanent institution in the service of society and its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment for the purposes of education, study and enjoyment.” The MoD’s mandate is to collect, preserve and interpret the history of Dufferin County. While European settlers are well represented, whether purposeful or accidental, BIPOC representation is minimal or non-existent. To be more representative of Dufferin County, there is a need to diversify the museum’s collections, as well as to ensure diverse representation among museum visitors.
Contemporary and Inclusive Collecting
“Without contemporary collecting, it impacts future generations and current visitors who don’t find themselves represented in museums, and thus may feel unrecognized, not valued, and stigmatized.” (Nikki Sullivan, Contemporary Collecting in a History Museum)
Representation among visitors is a point of concern that plagues museums and galleries of all sizes across North America. One of the main reasons BIPOC don’t visit museums is because they feel excluded in exhibits, collections, and programming. Museums don’t offer anything that BIPOC can relate to or reflect who they are and their experiences. Even in some of the most ethnically diverse cities, museums are incredibly Eurocentric. Another reason for lack of visitor representation is that many BIPOC have experienced or continue to experience colonization, so there is no desire or need to spend time and money visiting a museum, which is heavily focused on European settlers and descendants. Museums already face a dilemma of declining visitors, and current Eurocentric models are not sustainable, thus it is necessary for museums and the communities they represent to make time and put in effort to create and foster relationships with marginalized communities.
Collecting the Community
To address the lack of representation within the museum’s artifact collection, the Museum of Dufferin has started a project called Collecting the Community. This is an ongoing initiative to actively collect, preserve and interpret the past, present and future history of historically marginalized communities in Dufferin County. As Dufferin County’s demographics change, it is important for the MoD to take active steps in preserving and telling the stories of its residents, with a concerted effort to include those who have been historically excluded from our collections.
“Inclusive collections that incorporate diverse perspectives while also properly representing communities can generate a more inclusive, empathetic, and meaningful experience that promotes restorative justice.” (Inclusive Collecting and Repatriation, Sustaining Places)
As part of Collecting the Community there will be outreach events occurring throughout the summer, at the museum and in the community. Dufferin County residents, especially those who identify as racialized and/or marginalized, are encouraged to attend an event and bring an item or two that is meaningful to them. This can be something that speaks to one’s personal history, immigration, culture, accomplishments, etc. Museums don’t collect only “old” objects, but new ones as well. For example, some of our recent donations include vials of one of the first COVID vaccines administered in the county, a Bisht (traditional men’s cloak), a flag created for Shelburne Multicultural Festival in 2021, and much more.
Donations are encouraged, but we also welcome stories about objects that you aren’t ready to donate. Please note that any objects brought to these events and/or the museum are not guaranteed to be accepted. All potential donations will be subject to the Museum of Dufferin’s donation policy.
While Collecting the Community focuses on collecting from and engaging with historically marginalized communities to address a gap in the museum’s permanent collection, it does not discourage donations or participation from those who do not identify as a marginalized person.
Keep an eye out for more posts relating to the project including highlighting artifacts in the collections, new donations via Collecting the Community, and BIPOC stories.
Survey
The MoD is conducting a survey to identify gaps in visitorship, exhibit content, and permanent collection. You can access the survey here.
By: Sahana Puvirajasingam
Sahana is the Community Collections Curator at the Museum of Dufferin. She is a Tamil-Canadian emerging museum professional with an MA in History from University College Dublin.
Questions about Collecting the Community can be directed to Sarah Robinson (Curator) by email at srobinson@dufferinmuseum.com or by phone at 519-941-1114 ext. 4019.
Further Reading
Charr, Manuel. “What Can Museums Teach Us About Diversity.” MuseumNext. June 1, 2020. https://www.museumnext.com/article/what-can-museums-teach-us-about-diversity/.
“CRRF Glossary of Terms.” Canadian Race Relations Foundation. https://www.crrf-fcrr.ca/en/resources/glossary-a-terms-en-gb-1.
“(Im)migrant Communities and Museums.” Sustaining Places. https://wuffencuckoo.wordpress.com/diversity-equity-accessibility-inclusion/immigrant-communities-museums/.
“Inclusive Collecting and Repatriation.” Sustaining Places. https://wuffencuckoo.wordpress.com/diversity-equity-accessibility-inclusion/gender-lgbtqia/gender-lgbtqia-collecting/.
Lubar, Steven. “Museums Need Collections and Connections.” Medium. August 10, 2018. https://lubar.medium.com/museums-need-collections-and-connections-375543f9d331.
Museum of Development Northwest and Jen Kavanagh. “Contemporary Collecting Toolkit.” Museum of Development Northwest. 2019. https://museumdevelopmentnorthwest.wordpress.com/2019/07/22/launch-mdnw-contemporary-collecting-toolkit/.
Sullivan, Nikki. “Contemporary Collecting in a History Museum.” MuseumNext. May 15, 2020. https://www.museumnext.com/article/museums-contemporary-collecting/.
“Perceptions Matter – How Welcoming Are Cultural Organizations?.” Know Your Own Bone. March 20, 2019. https://www.colleendilen.com/2019/03/20/perceptions-matter-how-welcoming-are-cultural-organizations-data/.