Exhibiting Indigenous cultural heritage from Mexico: a decolonial comparative analysis of permanent displays in the British Museum and the Museo Nacional de Antropología

A recent turn towards incorporating decolonial approaches into museum theory and practice has been identified in scholarly literature as well as advocacy by activist movements to “decolonise the museum”. This research investigates how two state museums have responded to such changes: the British Museum, in the United Kingdom, and the Museo Nacional de Antropología, Mexico. Both display Indigenous cultural heritage objects from Mexico to the public. This paper considers how they may reproduce colonialist curatorial tendencies in their exhibiting of Indigeneity, through the curation and interpretation of these permanent displays and their reception by audiences. Through a comparative analysis of the permanent displays, this research uncovers the extensive influence of engrained colonialist epistemologies that persist across both institutions, utilising desk-based research methods as well as first-hand qualitative data from interviews as well as surveys collected through fieldwork at the British Museum. The findings reveal disparities between the two examples, reflective of their unique national museological contexts and respective state ideologies. Yet, despite differences in each nation’s relationship with coloniality, both museums contribute to the perpetuation of colonialist ideologies through biased misrepresentations and stereotypical narratives of Indigeneity, ultimately marginalising the source communities from which the items originate. Thus, this thesis also introduces a framework for understanding possible institutional responses in the context of decolonising and underscores the pressing need for change in both institutions, exploring adaptation, addition, abolition, and interventions as potential strategies.