Research Group members and their heritage focuses.
Hege Skalleberg Gjerde, doctoral fellow.
Archaeologist. Is finishing a PhD on the Scandinavian archaeological and historical debates about the extent of Southern Sami areas, methodological discussions about the interpretations of Southern Sami or non-Sami findings, and archaeological definitions of Saminess postcolonial perspectives.
Tone Wang, doctoral fellow.
Social Anthropologist. With long-term experience as a museum lecturer. Tone's thesis is an museum ethnography that has as its starting point the repatriation of parts of the Cultural History Museum Roald Amundsen Collection to the Quqshuun Ilihakvik Centre in Uqsuqtuuq, the Place Roald Amundsen himself called Gjoa Haven.
Geoffrey Gowlland, postdoctoral fellow.
Social Anthropologist. Currently working on issues of cultural revival and transmission of knowledge among the indigenous people (Austronesian speakers) of Taiwan. Geoffrey is particularly interested in the various roles that indigenous artisans and artists take up, both within their communities as holders of valued knowledge and as educators, and beyond the community as activists for indigenous rights. His previous research has included an investigation of the political consequences of identifying craft practices as 'intangible heritage' in contemporary China. Social Anthropologist. Is currently working on issues of cultural revival and transmission of knowledge among the indigenous people (Austronesian speakers) of Taiwan. He is particularly interested in the various roles that indigenous artisans and artists take up, both within their communities as holders of valued knowledge and as educators, and beyond the community as activists for indigenous rights. His previous research has included an investigation of the political consequences of identifying craft practices as 'intangible heritage' in contemporary China.
Jostein Bergstøl, Associate Professor.
Archaeologist. Has worked in Southern Sami areas for two decades and contributed to Scandinavian archaeological and historical debates about the extent of Southern Sami areas, methodological discussions about the interpretations of Southern Sami findings, and archaeological definitions of Saminess.
Susan Braovac. Conservator.
Archaeological conservator. Is finishing a PhD on the material characterization of alum-treated wood originating from the Oseberg Viking Age burial mound. Susan's interest in heritage are two-fold, both of which are related to my work as a conservator within a museum context. Firstly, processes through which objects and collections in museums are given attributes leading to our perception of their ‘value’. In the past two decades, the ‘value’ of an object or a collection has become an important factor in decision-making processes involving prioritization of resources for both collections management and conservation treatment. That is, prioritizations that govern what, when and how we treat or manage the cultural property entrusted to us. Second, understanding how the dynamic relationship between museums (and museum professionals) and society (on both local and global levels) invariably re-forms conservation norms and practices.
Peter Bjerregaard. Senior museum adviser.
Social Anthropologist. Peter’s interest is in the museum as an institution and its role towards a larger public. He has worked both theoretically and practically with this theme through my research and through a number of larger or smaller exhibition projects. His work involves approaching the museum as an experimental site. For decades the museum has been conceived as a place where academic knowledge could be disseminated to a larger public, or – more recently –as a place where different interest groups could be given a public voice. As public space the museum can be turned into a powerhouse, where different kinds of knowledges and practices may meet and create a particular ’museal’ perspective on the world.
Håkon Roland. Associate Professor.
Classical Archaeologist. Has excavated in Italy, Greece and Turkey since the 1990s. Economy, urbanisation, and the social and symbolic interpretation of money have been main areas of research. He has worked closely with traders, police, custom, and multinational corporations on heritage matters, and been working on legislation on heritage in cooperation with State authorities. Heritage crime and museum exhibitions are parts of his curatorial duties. He is concerned with the relationship between heritage making, authorities, legislation, and museums.
Gro Ween. Associate Professor.
Social Anthropologist. Has worked with indigenous heritage issues from the late 1990s in Australia, Sápmi and in other northern indigenous areas. She is concerned with what heritage legislation does, how it is put into use, by whom and for what purpose. Heritage legislation can prove to be empowering for indigenous groups, but it can also provide new layers of disempowerment. Central issues here involve tourism, understandings of history, landscape and identity, as well as the introduction of new kinds of ontological conflicts brought by new heritage practices and their management. Ween has written on themes such as indigenous museums, indigenous museum ethics, uses of heritage, world heritage, intangible Heritage and IPR.