The power of voice: towards an ethnography of repairing Guinea's colonial past

Abstract

The restitution of cultural heritage to countries of origin is a globally debated issue, including in the context of Portugal’s relationship with its former colonies. This article presents the results of four years of ethnomusicological fieldwork in Guinea-Bissau conducted to understand the relationship of the Guinean people with their cultural heritage. The research, focused on Guinean voices, proposes reparation as a political gesture, rooted in financial support, infrastructure development, and human resource training. Initially, the study examines the history of museum collections gathered by the Portuguese in Guinea-Bissau during the colonial period. The investigation amplifies local voices through ethnographic methods, challenging the dominant Western narrative around colonial heritage. Questions arise: what do these objects mean today? What is their role, value, and destiny? Despite the importance of material restitution, Guinean society does not see it as an immediate priority. Many argue for the need to first establish conditions such as museums and specialized training before the return of cultural assets. Others recognize the significance of these objects in European museums for representing the diaspora and the national identity. This article explores multiple perspectives, questioning whether restitution alone can heal colonial wounds, and proposes alternatives that embrace a plurality of voices and contexts. The article does not present solutions but rather perspectives on how to read and analyze the colonial past as experienced daily in this country.