Museums are indispensable in preserving the rich religion, culture, and both triumphs and struggles in the history of various minority groups across the globe. Through their choices, artists and curators are able to spark thought in new generations, giving viewers an authentic connection to heritage in parts of the world that they generally don’t imagine. This opportunity, although an irreplaceable resource for people of all ages, is sometimes actually not genuine or fair to the groups of origin of these artifacts.

A piece of art is presented in order to speak volumes about an indigenous group of people, to portray their lifestyle and development into society over a period of time. However, how accurate can that portrayal really be when written in the perspective of those who stole it? As seen in the Black Panther clip, Jordan’s character justifies his theft as vengeance for British action against the Wakanda tribe. The information given by the “expert” is false and leaves out details of the acquisition and context of the piece shown. In my opinion, museums that bring awareness and attention to minority cultures shouldn’t have to return these pieces, but they must acknowledge the significance of it to its people. By this, I mean that indigenous groups should have some influence and decision-making part in the recognition of their exhibit in global museums.

I understand that lesser developed countries shouldn’t house their own artifacts in museums. Often times also, as stated by the BBC article, these minority cultures are not delineated by mapped boundaries; therefore, finding the location and infrastructure to house these pieces would be infeasible and unrealistic. Instead of this required maintenance and constant expense, I think that minorities should have a large say through art curators in the process of presenting their heritage in a museum for others because it will allow for an increased tolerance, authenticity, and development across the globe.

Museums are an instrument in the diffusion of knowledge, and by actively participating in this system, indigenous people can share their accurate perspective of stories, avoiding solely the frame of reference of colonizers during the time period. It brings an appreciation for this group of people, and a better understanding of their growth in society. Furthermore, this preservation allows for greater interest in these often neglected populations, which would increase both tourism and consciousness around minorities. Having said that, if a group is unfairly and illegally stripped of their roots and heritage with these artifacts being taken away, these museums should have the moral responsibility to return pieces to the place of their origin if compromise is not made. As emphasized, my opinion is still that with joint effort, history can be shared with an honest perspective, providing insight into the lives of many underrepresented indigenous groups and raising tolerance for their struggles.