Macucu: Experiences in Long-term Collaboration between a Museum and an Indigenous Community

Abstract

This article describes a long-term, process-oriented collaboration between the Ethnologisches Museum Berlin and the Kotiria community of Macucu in Colombia. This cooperation has evolved into a deep relational engagement in which cultural objects are seen as living entities and mediators between the Museum and the community. Through joint activities, such as the construction of a traditional longhouse and the creation of a botanical garden, cultural practices were revitalized and intergenerational learning was fostered. However, the article also addresses the tensions, power asymmetries and challenges that can arise in transcultural collaborations of this kind.