Decolonizing Indonesian Museums: Reconsidering the Representation and Ownership of Indigenous Art in National Cultural Institutions

Abstract

Museums play an important role in preserving and interpreting Indonesia's artistic and cultural heritage, yet questions concerning provenance, ownership, representation, and community participation remain significant. Indigenous and traditional artworks held by museums may have been acquired through historical processes that did not involve meaningful community consent or equitable recognition. This article examines the governance of Indigenous art collections in Indonesian museums from a decolonial justice perspective. Using normative juridical and institutional analysis, the study evaluates cultural heritage regulation, museum governance, ownership principles, repatriation, and community participation. The article argues that museums should move beyond the traditional model in which cultural institutions exercise unilateral authority over the interpretation and management of Indigenous collections. The study proposes a community-centered museum governance framework incorporating provenance transparency, community consultation, shared curatorial authority, cultural access rights, and appropriate mechanisms for repatriation or shared custody. Such reforms would enable museums to function as spaces of dialogue rather than institutions that exclusively control cultural narratives. The article concludes that decolonizing museum governance can strengthen cultural justice by recognizing Indigenous communities as active rights holders and knowledge partners in the preservation and interpretation of their artistic heritage.