Native Hawaiians and Bishop Museum: Negotiating Ownership of the Island Past

Increasingly, museums are seeking to incorporate indigenous perspectives into their exhibits, programs, and collections management policies. Despite its history and close proximity to Hawaiians, Bishop Museum has neither a long nor an unblemished record of consulting the indigenous community. Within the last three years, there has been a theft/removal of sacred objects, a lawsuit involving repatriation of Hawaiian remains, demonstrations and state government hearings concerning the Bishop's interpretation of archaeological sites, as well as more positive activity; e.g., a renewed interest in exhibiting Hawaiian culture. While factionalism within the indigenous community complicates matters, many of the museum's problems are an outgrowth of its own decisions: lucrative contracts have not been without cost, and internal dissension has resulted in such high staff turnover that the museum's professional capability has been publicly called into question by Hawaiians (and others). As Hawaiians assume a more active role, their 106-year relationship with Bishop Museum is being redefined. (Note: “Hawai'i” is used here to refer to the southernmost island in the chain; “Hawaii” designates the entire chain, the state).