Drawing on his broad research, Chipangura explores how ethnographic museums holding African collections are confronting the enduring consequences of colonialism. His presentation moves beyond familiar debates on restitution and repatriation, asking a more fundamental question: What are museums for, and whom do they serve?
For many museum professionals, the answer appears self-evident. Collections exist to be preserved. Conservation safeguards objects for future generations. Museums are institutions built around permanence. Johm Moses challenges these assumptions. Rather than taking conservation, collections, or even museums themselves as given, Moses invites us to begin elsewhere: with people, languages, relationships, and the continuity of cultural life.
