By working in a cross-sector, collaborative and Indigenous-governed team, the project will enrich and re-frame the understanding of this collection in the Museum. It will unearth Indigenous taxonomic practices, produce new histories of biocultural collections and develop a model for participatory cross-cultural collaborations.
In 1841 when based in Albany, Western Australia, Edinburgh-born Assistant Comissary-General Robert Neill made a collection of fishes and mammal specimens, sketches and Menang objects that are now held at National Museums Scotland and the Natural History Museum. Workshops will be held on Indigenous land to research and discuss these collections from different perspectives. This research will be used by museum partners to ensure wide cross-sector and community engagement with the project outcomes.