Museum Studies Program, U-M Rackham Graduate School

Oct 24 & 25 – Balikan: Shared Stewardship and Ethical Returns for Philippine Collections

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On October 24-25, 2025, join the Inclusive History Project for Balikan: Shared Stewardship and Ethical Returns for Philippine Collections, a two-day symposium at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. This symposium brings together scholars, archivists, cultural heritage workers, and community activists from across the globe who are collaborating and advocating to better represent and activate Philippine collections in libraries, archives, and museums.

The central question that will be explored throughout the two-day symposium is: What are the current and future directions of shared stewardship of Philippine colonial collections? The symposium will be a space to share resources and insights, further explore and develop best practices for caring for Philippine collections across institutions, and continue building networks amongst those pursuing reparative work related to Philippine collections. Speakers will discuss their efforts to rethink and intervene in institutional practices and bring Philippine collections closer to communities by pursuing outright repatriation, knowledge sharing using digital tools, and/or shared stewardship arrangements.

The Balikan: Shared Stewardship and Ethical Returns for Philippine Collections symposium is part of ReConnect/ReCollect: Reparative Connections to Philippine Collections at the University of Michigan led by Deirdre de la Cruz and Ricky Punzalan and operating in partnership with the Inclusive History Project at the University of Michigan. Learn more about the project.

Balikan: Shared Stewardship & Ethical Returns for Philippine Collections is presented by the Inclusive History Project in partnership with the Asian/Pacific Islander American Studies Program, the Museum Studies Program, the Bentley Historical Library, the Clements Library, the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design at the University of Michigan, the U-M Department of American Culture, the U-M Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, the U-M Department of History, the University of Michigan Museum of Anthropological Archaeology (UMMAA), the University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA), and the University of Michigan Library.

Friday, October 24, 2025

All events will be held at the Rackham Graduate School, Fourth Floor, Assembly Hall, 915 E Washington St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Welcome and Keynote
2:00pm – 3:45pm

Panel: Shared Stewardship / Co-Curation
4:00pm – 5:30pm

Opening Reception
Begins at 6:00pm

 

Saturday, October 25

All events will be held at the Michigan Union, First Floor, Anderson Room, 530 S State St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Panel: Sound Returns
9:15am – 10:45am

Panel: Human and Ancestral Remains
11:00am – 12:30pm

Panel: Materialities and Modalities of Return
1:30pm – 3:00pm

Panel: Archives Remembered and Remade
3:15pm – 4:45pm

Closing Keynote
4:45pm – 6:00pm

 

Complete program details can be found here.