It is obvious enough that museum collections are a heritage resource for many people around the world, and therefore, that museums are places where people can go to reconnect with their roots, origins, forebears, predecessors.
It is less obvious perhaps that learning from one another about the things that museums safeguard can be a tangible, down-to-earth way for people of all walks of life and national origin to connect with one another.
After all, good conversations do not just have to be about people or events, mundane, threatening, or remarkable. They can also be about things, and about why things exist, how they are used, why they are important, and how they have stories to tell.
Image above:Dawn Ceremony in front of Ruatepupuke II during the Te Maori Exhibit in 1986. © The Field Museum, GN84432_33c, Photographer Frank Leslie.
Learn more about Pacific Partnerships
Learn more about Ruatepupuke II and Chicago's Marae