About the Project
‘Whispers of Caribbean Isles,’is a Research Project held at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (MAA) at the University of Cambridge. The project is funded by a small grant from the Collections-Connections-Communities Strategic Research Initiative and aims to trial new ways of connecting existing collections at University Museums with stakeholder communities locally and abroad.
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This project aims to delve into the Caribbean's pre-Columbian history by engaging in inclusive and multivocal dialogues with contemporary Caribbean communities in Cambridge and beyond. Participants will have a unique opportunity to uncover and reconnect with the hidden histories stored in the MAA collections, fostering a deeper understanding of Indigenous pasts in the insular Americas. The project is designed to promote more inclusive and restorative narratives of memory and identity through participatory research by piloting a digital platform.
This project will hopefully open the door for larger projects of this style in multiple islands of the Caribbean and open new avenues of engagement and discussion on the nature of Caribbean collections, the historic relationships between institutions in the Caribbean and Europe, and decolonizing practices and repatriation in heritage management and museum curatorship.
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The project is taking place from November 2023-April 2024. Learn more by visiting out Team page.
Three Research Themes
Society and Identity
How do materials, objects and places of the past define community and individual identities, and inform future pathways to more inclusive senses of belonging? How can the complex and entangled histories of collections - where, when, how and why they are in Cambridge - help address persistent societal inequalities? What collections were not preserved or valued, what are the collections of the future and who will have agency in their formulation and interpretation?
Health and Wellbeing
How can health and wellbeing be improved through engagement with collections, and associated physical and digital spaces? How might involving communities - of all ages and identities - contribute to public wellbeing and health? Can people’s sense of their place in this world, their pleasures and responsibilities, be enhanced through collections?
Environment and Sustainability
How has the natural and built environment shaped, and been shaped by, human activity and creativity? How do past records of the natural and anthropogenic world help us understand and mitigate against current global environmental challenges? How can records of past extinctions help us build a more sustainable future for the ecosystems upon which we depend?