Visiting New Guinea islanders (Papuans)
with Miklouho-Maclay
In the year of the 175th
anniversary of the scientist the first in Russia Miklouho-Maclay Online Museum
was opened. It gives an opportunity to travel virtually through the fascinating
world of the Maclay Coast, discovered by the Russian scientist.
For reference:
Nikolay
Nikolaevich Miklouho-Maclay (1846 - 1888) is a world-known humanist scientist,
traveler and progressive public figure, who explored the peoples of Oceania,
Australia and Southeast Asia.
His
reputation as a courageous explorer, who pioneered many scientific disciplines,
has always stirred interest to his person. His contributions in ethnography and
physical anthropology were especially significant. For example, he disproved
the racist views of some scientists of the time that the indigenous people
(Papuans) of the Maclay Coast belonged to an intermediate link between human
and animal, leaving behind a crucial ideological legacy for all mankind on the
equality of races and peoples, emphasizing the unacceptability of violent
suppression of cultures, the imposition of alien stereotypes, forced cultural
integration and colonial policies.
How the Online Museum was
created and what can we see on the website we asked the founder and Director of
the Miklouho-Maclay Foundation, a descendant and full namesake of the
outstanding scientist N. N. Miklouho-Maclay.
-Nickolay Nikolaevich, how did
you come with the idea of creating a museum after your famous ancestor?
First of all, it is worth
saying a few words about the mission of the Miklouho-Maclay Foundation -
preserving traditions, cultivating respect for cultures and values of the
world’s peoples. We organize research expeditions, support and encourage
scientific research and promote humanistic ideas on the equality of races
envisioned by N. N. Miklouho-Maclay. The museum allows to solve many of these
tasks and present to the people the heritage of the outstanding scientist and
traveler.
We are all collectors by
nature. The idea of creating a museum that would serve everyone appeared after
an expedition in the footsteps of my great-granduncle, which I organized in
2017 with a team of scientists from Moscow and St. Petersburg. The goal was to
conduct comprehensive scientific research, the result of which can be seen on
the Foundation website in the form of completed projects, as well as in
publications, which were made by me already as a research fellow of the
Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
For reference:
TheMiklouho-MaclayFoundationforthePreservation of Ethnocultural Heritage
website: www.mikluho-maclay.org/en/
N. N. Miklouho-Maclay Jr.’s website: www.nnmm.info
It was the indigenous people
(Papuans) of the Maclay Coast, with whom we had an unforgettable meet, who
encouraged me to create the museum that is now available to absolutely
everyone. It is based on a collection of high scientific and cultural value,
presented to me as a gift by local people, who persuaded me to show it to
Russians, as Miklouho-Maclay did in the XIX century.
The story began when I asked
the Elders to bring and show me what were the objects of their material culture
and everyday life, which they were using at that time. They were surprised, but
I explained that it might be interesting not only for Russians, but for the
whole world, because Nikolay Nikolaevich had gathered a similar collection 150
years ago and it would help, through comparison, to identify the changes that
occurred in the life of the indigenous inhabitants of the North-East of the New
Guinea Island.
I showed prepared in advance
photos of the collections and items donated by the Miklouho-Maclay family to
the Kunstkamera, and the reaction was unforgettable - cheers and heated
discussion, and after a while they confessed that many items were still in use.
The next morning, they started
bringing everything they use in everyday life and during the holidays from
everywhere of the Maclay Coast to the hut in Gorendu village where we stayed
in. Each family came up and explained what for and how they used the items. We
managed to make photos and videos and write down their comments.
Elders Yaboi and Asel Tui told
everyone that the items each brought Maclay would display in Russia and they
would become a part of a new collection of modern Maclay. Asel Tui said that
they would donate all of the items from heart to heart. It was very touching,
as I felt that invisible thread that connected all of us through the centuries
- me and the Papuan friends (Papua New Guineans), Russians, well familiar with
the travels of the brave pioneer, who thought he was heading for certain death,
as there were rumors of bloodthirstiness of Papuans (indigenous people).
Nikolay Nikolaevich debunked
this myth forever, refuting the information about the aggressiveness of the locals,
fueled at the time in some European countries, and left behind an ideological
heritage, relevant even today, on the equality of races and peoples, the
importance of respect for the traditions and culture of all peoples of the
world.
- And why was the online format chosen?
Nowadays, unfortunately, it is
becoming increasingly difficult to conduct face-to-face events and expeditions
due to the epidemiological situation, and we all have to adapt - we are trying
to transfer our activities into the virtual space.
Having got the successful
experience of organizing and conducting face-to-face exhibition and museum
projects, which, unfortunately, cannot be available to visitors on a daily
basis, an online format in Russian and English was chosen for the museum.
Also, it is not a secret that
the youth of the XXI century prefer to get information via internet. All this
was accumulated in the Miklouho-Maclay Online Museum.
- What can we see in the Online Museum?
The Museum has a collection
that has analogues to those items that Miklouho-Maclay had collected 150 years
ago. There is a detailed copy of the traveler's tropical apparel, the Maclay
Coast model layout, a unique map with more than 150 points of stay of Nikolay
Nikolaevich telling the story of his travels not only to the shores of the New
Guinea Island, but around the world.
In fact, at the moment, the
Online Museum materials are an educational resource that allows to introduce N.
N. Miklouho-Maclay's studies and his principles of respect for the cultures and
traditions of the peoples to the younger generation.
There are also collections of
books and films on the website; articles prepared by specialists, pedagogues,
scientists of the Russian Academy of Sciences. All the materials and
information were thoroughly checked so they could be used by scientists or
anyone interested in history, geography and travels.
Definitely. The ease of using
the resource for educational purposes and accessibility will allow the resource
to develop independently, as well as be replenished with new exhibits and
attract more and more participants to the project.
We welcome everyone to the
adventure world of the brave explorer and traveler Nikolay
Nikolaevich Miklouho-Maclay!
Miklouho-Maclay Foundation Press Office
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