Since 1977, May 18th has been celebrated annually around to globe as International Museum Day. This year’s theme was ‘The Power of Museums’ and one of its three lenses ‘the power of achieving sustainability.’ Sustainability – environmental as well as social – is one of the major challenges of our time and absolutely vital for our future. Although I believe that all museums have a responsibility towards supporting and increasing sustainability, Caribbean museums are uniquely positioned and especially pressured to do so. In many ways, colonial histories and their present-day legacies are to blame for the region’s ecological precarity and the social issues challenging its communities.

Museums have the power to impact society greatly and positively. They can work towards a more socially sustainable society by battling intolerance and working towards greater inclusivity. Culture can be used to bring people together, to celebrate traditions and heritage, or to confront harmful, negative stereotypes. Museums can provide teaching, skills development, and employment. Museums also have the power to contribute to a more environmentally sustainable society by reconsidering their buildings, (re-) use of materials, and energy sources. They can also teach us and inspire us to live with greater respect towards our planet and its finite resources. There is no shortage of the ways in which museums can and have contributed to sustainable societies. I would like to share a few examples from Caribbean museums with you.

The Caribbean
Populated for thousands of years by Indigenous peoples, the Caribbean region has a long history of diversity in terms of languages and heritages. Geographically, the region is also incredibly diverse, including low-lying coral reefs and islands, steep volcanoes along fault lines, and climates ranging from arid to tropical. Although this depends on the definition, the Caribbean includes tiny island nations and uninhabited islands, as well as large mainland countries such as Venezuela. Politically, some islands contain multiple countries (e.g. Hispaniola with Haiti and the Dominican Republic), some countries contain multiple islands (e.g. St. Vincent and the Grenadines), and some (parts of) islands are overseas dominions of nations such as France and the USA. We need to try to keep all these differences in mind as we think about the Caribbean to ensure that we do not have a homogenous picture in our mind.

Colonialism fundamentally, tragically, and irreparably changed the Caribbean. Over a period of roughly four centuries, colonial nations and empires fought over the region’s land and natural resources. These colonizers enslaved, murdered, or (forcibly) displaced the Indigenous Caribbean peoples whose free survival was mostly only possible in the most rugged inland terrains, far away from the sea and their farms and forests. The enslavement and deportation of peoples from Africa again dramatically impacted the Caribbean’s population. Unique colonial histories, resistance, indentureship, labor migrants, and independences have resulted in markedly heterogeneous societies that differ greatly across the region. Colonialism also deeply affected the Caribbean environment and its landscapes. Deforestation and the creation of plantations undeniably had many effects on the region. Plantations were drawn out on maps and created in terrains and soils that were not always equally suitable. Soils were worn out by overuse for the same cash crops and ecological diversity was reduced. In places this has led to problems with water management, which is a serious problem in an area prone to tropical storms and hurricanes.

Environmental Sustainability
Colonialism and capitalism have exploited the region for the benefit of the Global North, leaving the Caribbean to deal with the consequences with little help. The Caribbean is disproportionately affected by the global climate crisis and extremely vulnerable to more climate change. Rising sea levels are flooding low-lying islands and damaging shorelines. The rising global temperature seems to be resulting in more frequent and stronger hurricanes and storms, which are proving to be more destructive in part because forests and trees along the waterline are being replaced with modern (tourism) developments. Although natural disasters have always been a part of life in the region, this human-made crisis on top of the scars left by centuries of colonialism has greatly exacerbated matters.

Many different approaches are necessary to start managing the climate crisis and to aid the Caribbean before new disasters strike. Museums certainly have a role to play in this regard by creating and inspiring greater environmental sustainability through their own actions and those of their visitors and communities. I will share a few brief examples.

There is a Science Center on Martinique, Centre de Decouverte des Sciences de la Terre, at the foot of the Mt Pelée volcano. Besides commemorating the devastating eruption of 1902, the center also keeps the volcano under constant observation and teaches local visitors how they can live safely in the shadow of an active volcano. The foundation of the museum took place in 2004 when the 1995 eruption of the Soufrière Hills volcano on Montserrat (c. 250 km from Martinique) was still in recent memory. The eruption destroyed Montserrat’s capital city and resulted in two thirds of the population permanently leaving the island.

An entirely different environmental initiative can be found further south on Grenada. Here, at the Belmont Estate, a former plantation has been turned into an eco-farm. The estate has geared itself towards agri-tourism, particularly related to cocoa beans. They produce their own fair-trade chocolate and visitors can take a tour to participate in the entire process. Local produce and environmental sustainability are highlighted by several projects on the estate. Belmont Estate not only provides employment on site, but also offers training to local farmers in sustainable agriculture.
Also on Grenada, or more accurately just offshore in Grenada’s Molinere Bay, is the Underwater Sculpture Park. It was the first of its kind, founded in 2006 by artist Jason de Caires Taylor. The park is designed specifically to encourage reef regrowth, which was sorely needed after Grenada’s reefs were severely damaged by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. The sculptures are in shallow waters and can be visited swimming, snorkeling or diving. Set within a Marine Park, visitors need to pay a park fee and can only enter the park with licensed operators or guides who are also dedicated to keeping the reefs and marine life protected.

On Guadeloupe we find the Ecomusée CreoleArt, a museum project inspired by the vision of Jocelyn Roumbo. Over the years she has built an incredible ecomuseum that focuses on preserving traditional ways of life on the island. In an extensive garden you will find plants, trees, flowers and herbs that have all kinds of uses. Medicinal plants carry labels with information about traditional healing methods while fruits and vegetables are accompanied by recipes. The museum has inspired other community projects, such as On Pannyé, on kwi (check out the video). This local initiative encourages the use of basketry and calabash rather than plastic bags or boxes to reduce plastic waste and the community’s ecological footprint.

Social Sustainability
Caribbean museums are also addressing social sustainability. In this diverse region (with regards to history, ancestry, religion and culture) it is perhaps unsurprising that tensions can arise between communities. Museums have an important role here to work towards increased tolerance and understanding of each other.
In Trinidad the local East-Indian community has created the Indian Caribbean Museum. For the community this is an important way to preserve their own history and traditions as well as to teach other people about their values and heritage. Such initiatives can build bridges between people of different backgrounds and counter negative stereotypes.

Similarly, in 2014 the National Museum Jamaica held an exhibition about Rastafari. Together with multiple Rastafari communities, the exhibition was collaboratively created – although this was not without conflict and disagreement. The goal was to improve tolerance towards and understanding of the Rastafari who have been marginalized historically in Jamaican society.
Also in Jamaica, Liberty Hall: The Legacy of Marcus Garvey works to advance Jamaica’s communities of African descent. Besides offering empowering and educational programs for children, they also provide literacy classes for adults, as well as teach computer skills and help people write their CVs and apply for jobs. The museum’s courtyard is used for all kinds of community events, including health fairs. In this way, the museum carries on in the spirit of Marcus Garvey.

As a final example, I would like to share the Ecomusée de Marie-Galante: Habitation Murat. Situated on the small island of Marie-Galante, this museum is housed on a former plantation estate and in its great house. Its collections, however, tell a different story. Collected and donated by the community, the objects in the permanent exhibition speak about local life in the 20th and 21st centuries. It seeks to pay tribute to local ways of life and honor recent histories of the community. As such, it helps bring the community together around their shared experiences.

The Ephemeral Museum
Finally, I wish to consider the permanency of the museum institution itself. In most definitions of ‘the museum,’ including the one maintained by the International Council of Museums (ICOM), the word ‘permanent’ is a required quality. Indeed, many of the early modern museum buildings were designed to evoke a sense of permanence. Often, museums note their dedication to preserve their collections “for the future and future generations” in terms that might paint a picture of eternity. Of course, museums are rather more temporary. Over time, many have closed or merged, been renamed or relocated; collections have been divided or moved or deaccessioned.

In the Caribbean, particularly regarding grassroots museums, the ‘sustainability’ of museums themselves have been pointed out as problematic. Especially for grassroots museums founded by a single individual, the life of the museum and the founder tend to come to an end at the same time. With their collections, perhaps, auctioned off or thrown away, lost forever. In an earlier work I have argued:
“Perhaps sustainability does not need to be a priority for all museums: perhaps there are those, such as grassroots museums founded by individuals, whose purpose and role lies almost exclusively in the present. I propose calling them ‘ephemeral museums’ to signify their relatively short-lived existence in a single form. This is certainly not to say that their collections are worthless for the future and should not be preserved. Rather, that the museum as an animated entity, comprised of the landscape, collections, owner, and narratives, ceases to be when one of these parts is lost. The museum as it was has played its part and thinking it can be preserved intact would be missing the point. While one could preserve parts of the ephemeral museum, such as the collections or the museum building, the result would be a new museum, with a new purpose and a new societal role.”

Ariese-Vandemeulebroucke 2018: 200

Although sustainability demands careful consideration in terms of the preservation of museums themselves, social and environmental sustainability are not optional concerns. Ultimately, the truth is that the very issues museums could help to alleviate, are those that if unchallenged may destroy museum institutions and cultural heritage.

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To learn more about Caribbean museums and how they adopt participatory practices and embark on community engagement process, you can read (open access) The Social Museum in the Caribbean: Grassroots Heritage Initiatives and Community Engagement (Ariese-Vandemeulebroucke 2018).
To be inspired by decolonial practices taking place in the Caribbean and elsewhere in the world, you can read the accessible book (also open access) Practicing Decoloniality: A Guide with Global Examples (Ariese & Wróblewska 2021).

Acknowledgement
Parts of this text are based on a blog post by the author titled ‘How are Caribbean museums contributing towards a more sustainable society?’ which was published 18 May 2015 on the webpage of the NEXUS1492 project, Leiden University. The blog post was subsequently also published by MuseumsEtc in The Museum Blog Book (2017; p. 184-191).

Reference
Ariese-Vandemeulebroucke, Csilla E. 2018. The Social Museum in the Caribbean: Grassroots Heritage Initiatives and Community Engagement. Leiden: Sidestone Press.