Historical artefacts are the treasure house of every nation. Fiji has shown a commitment to preserving historical artefacts and conserving historical records. As an academician and educator who attempts to connect theoretical knowledge with practical experience and its implications for this objective, I led a group of my history students on a recent trip to the Fiji Museum, which always became a memorable and significant way to enlighten the students and expand their understanding of historical documents and artefacts. I am sure the unforgettable visit to the Fiji Museum has left a significant impression on their minds and souls.
THE Fiji Museum, located in the capital of Fiji, Suva, is a tribute to preserving the heritage of the nation’s culture and history. Numerous primary records and other historical evidence are exhibited to illustrate Fiji and Pacific historical discourse from antiquity to modern times.
It holds a phenomenal collection, including archaeological materials dated back 3700 years. Other cultural objects represent Fiji’s indigenous inhabitants and other communities that have settled in the island group over the past 200 years (Fijimuseum.org.fj/about/).
The origin of the museum has gone through many historical landmarks, including the: preserving and display of traditional Fijian culture in 1904; the passing away of the Fiji Museum Ordinance in 1929 when the museum was formally inaugurated, and later opened in its current location in 1955 that has expanded in its collection. Currently, they display a “historical gallery, masi gallery, art gallery, Indo-Fijian gallery, temporary exhibition space, store rooms and gift shop” (Fijimuseum.org.fj/about/).
With this rich historical space, it becomes imperative for all to motivate children and youth to visit the museum and expand their knowledge about the past. Their curiosity would be satisfied, and learning from practical experience would surely be a lifetime experience, especially for those who are visiting it for the first time. Each exhibit conveyed a narrative that profoundly connected with our children. All my students were enthralled by the exquisitely created and displayed artefacts; this was an ideal chance to address the need to conserve such artefacts. In the modern world of artificial intelligence, it is paramount to educate our young so that history informs us about identity, culture, and values.
- H. Carr’ in his book What is History? Writes: “The historian without his facts is rootless and futile; the facts without their historian are dead and meaningless”. This fact implied my responsibility to motivate others to critically understand the exhibitions and artefacts and correlate them with their curriculum assessments. The students were illuminated with their astonishment and excitement to see the practical historical artefacts. They queried and demonstrated a curiosity to know the past and its current significance.
Many examined the portions focused on the events of colonisation and its enduring influence on Fijian culture. Others were captivated by the records of sailing with our ancestors, the ingenuity of our ancestors, fishing traditional knowledge tools and designs, living on the seas, visitors from foreign lands, traditional waves of our ocean people, warming the world, Fiji’s voyage to climate action, Girmit agreement; music, dance and ceremony; and numerous posters and other artefacts. These historical records incited profound debates among my students about the intricacies of history and its influence on mankind. The students attempted to receive many perspectives that were crucial for fostering critical thinking and empathy.
The nations that keep historical records alive by conserving and preserving them benefit from learning from the past to make their future better. Although some have overlooked them, others pay huge amounts of resources to expand their artefacts, like that of the Louvre Museum in Paris, the British Museum in London, the National Museum of China, the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, the National Museum, New Delhi and many more.
In the digital world, Fiji’s museum serves as a testament to the significance of preserving history for posterity. The insightful information preserved and exhibited fascinated and engrossed the young minds. My students articulated their ideas and emotions about their field trip experience to Fiji’s museum. This helped them satisfy their curiosity to learn from their ancestral history and actively safeguard their own historical records.
As a historian and educator, I hope all Pacific nations expand their historical records and preserve them in their respective museums so that future generations can learn from them. A special budget, if allocated to procuring new artefacts, can be given by the nations, which would add to the collection of historical records.
Overall, our visit to the Fiji Museum exceeded a mere educational excursion; it was a transforming experience that emphasised the significance of historical documentation and cultural legacy. I believe, we must provide a chance for our young ones to connect to history by visiting the museum. This exemplifies how history can inspire and empower future generations.
I conclude with a quote from Maira Kalman: “A visit to a museum is a search for beauty, truth and meaning in our lives. Go to museums as often as you can”. Hope this may enhance our collective efforts to preserve our historical records.
- n DR SAKUL KUNDRA is an Associate Dean (Research) and Associate Professor at the College of Humanities and Education at Fiji National University. The views expressed are his own and not of this newspaper or his employer. Email dr.sakulkundra@gmail.com
