Christina McKelvie, Culture Minister in the Scottish Government has welcomed a report from a group set up to examine the role of Scotland’s Museums as the nation addresses its legacy in Empire and the Slave Trade. The Scottish Government has fully accepted all the recommendations of the Steering Group.

 Recommendations:

1. Scotland should create a dedicated space to address our role in empire, colonialism, and historic slavery. A new organisation should be created to lead this work.
2. Museums should ensure anti-racism is embedded in their workplaces and public spaces.
3. Museums should involve the people of Scotland in shaping their work through co-production, to promote cultural democracy and participation for all.
4. Museums should commit to research, interpret, and share the histories of Scotland’s links to empire, colonialism, and historic slavery.
5. Museums should support efforts to promote and embed race equality and anti-racism in the curricula in a meaningful, effective, and sustainable way.
6. Scottish Government should demonstrate their support for restitution and repatriation of looted or unethically acquired items in Scottish collections.

Funding implications have made it impossible for the Scottish Government to finance the required £5million which would enable the 6 recommendations to be implemented as put forward.

Christina McKelvie said:

“While budgetary pressures mean we are not currently able to commit to the group’s suggestion of £5 million for this work, the Scottish Government has provided funding of £200,000 in 2023/24 to enable the steering group and Museums Galleries Scotland to begin work addressing the recommendations, including scoping out the format of a new organisation to progress the creation of a dedicated space and national guidance around the repatriation of objects from Scottish institutions.”

There are organisations and institutions in Scotland already making their own arrangements to address Scotland’s links with Empire and Slavery.

Jatin Haria, elected Chair of the Steering Group and Executive Director at the Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights said:

“The ESSM recommendations came from widespread stakeholder involvement, including the largest national study of attitudes to museums and racism undertaken in Scotland. We welcome the Scottish Government’s acceptance of all six of our recommendations, as well as the acknowledgement of all the previous work that has got us to where we are today. 

“The Steering Group is determined to work with the wider museum sector to bring the recommendations to fruition. We understand that finances are tight, and although more will be needed, the money that the Scottish Government has committed will be useful to kick start a long term process that will finally allow Scotland to properly tell it’s story of involvement in empire, slavery and colonialism in a coherent way. We can’t expect to resolve the racial inequalities that persist today without a better understanding of the history which brought us to this point.”

Lucy Casot, CEO of Museums Galleries Scotland said:

“MGS welcomes this significant announcement by the Scottish Government and the recognition of the importance of undertaking the work recommended by the Empire, Slavery & Scotland’s Museums Steering Group.

“Since their publication in 2022, the recommendations have not just shaped MGS’s work, but how we work as an organisation to collectively support the sector to engage with, and tell the stories of, all of Scotland’s people. We are already seeing brilliant work by museums and galleries across the country collaborating with local communities impacted by the legacies of slavery and empire to create more inclusive heritage spaces. I am excited about the future of a museum sector that is truly inclusive, trusted and engaged with by all of Scotland’s people, and the role that MGS can play in supporting this work.” 

The Orkney News has several articles in our archive about the role of Orkney and of Scotland in both Empire and Slavery. Including:

• The Rousay Clearances
• The Rousay Clearances Part 2
• St John’s Scottish Episcopal Church Edinburgh Princes St, Scotland’s Slavery Legacy
• Recognising Scotland’s Links to Slavery: the Powis Gateway
• Book Review: In My Right Place, the Life and Times of Joseph Clouston, Gold Coast Merchant and Harray Laird