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In the summer of 2019, Ineke Lavers' CHIP placement took place at the Department of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas (AOA), British Museum. 

"During my placement with the Africa, Oceania and the Americas department of the British Museum, as part of the UCU Cultural Heritage Programme, I had the opportunity of being involved in several projects across the department and a variety of different tasks. These included digitalising the pictorial collection of Igbo Ukwu from Thurstan Shaw and completing a research report for the Endangered Material Knowledge Program concerning Brazilian basketry. We also had the opportunity to be present at the visit of a delegation of Witoto elders from the Amazon. Sitting in on several meetings with the elders in the vast British Museum storage facility at Orsman Road, we witnessed the elders and a visiting professor from Colombia examine and discuss objects collected from the Witoto peoples in the late 19^th century - at the time of the Rubber Boom Genocide. The days spent in Orsman Road amongst the objects that the museum does not currently have on display and in the company of the tribal elders were most definitely the highlights of my time in the British Museum. The elders’ knowledge of the objects in the collection will become part of its documentation. However, the experience of being there at the time of their visit was an exceptional privilege. The placement allowed us to witness the function of the museum behind the scenes and below the ground, and gave us the opportunity to listen to stories of the museum, its contents and histories." 

Class of 2019, Interdepartmental Major HUM/SSC