Colonial institution and specimen: examination of the role of islands, botanical gardens and museums in natural history

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25380196
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: International relations
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: ORYU Yoko 神戸大学, 大学教育推進機構, 講師 (30401433)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 植民地研究 / ニューカレドニア / アンティル諸島

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research starts from the rich collections of botanical and other specimen from ex-colonies (especially islands) in European museums, built by the activity of "botanize the island thoroughly" (an expression in OED). We have examined the related documents and the museums possessing the collections including Bologna University and Montpellier University.
In the context of today's decolonization, we have sought the way of making use of such collections, witness of crude colonialism of the past, to improve people's critical thinking. To this purpose, we have examined the exhibition "De jade et de nacre", held in New Caledonia and Paris in 1990, organized by Jean-Marie Tjibaou ( leader of independent parties of the island, assassinated the year before), which had great success in manifesting the culture of the Kanak, native people of the island.
We have tried to realize an exhibition of European botanical collections in Japan, which has not been realized because of various circumstances.

Free Research Field

国際関係論