ABSTRACT
The Solomon Islands National Museum (Figs 17.2, 3) is situated on Guadalcanal in the centre of Honiara, the capital. It is supported by grants from the Solomon Islands government through the Ministry of Education, Training and Cultural Affairs and by overseas agencies such as the South Pacific Cultures Fund of the Australian government, the South Pacific Commission, Unesco, and, most recently, the Cultural Aid Fund of the Japanese government. When the museum was first opened in June 1969, its chief aim was to collect ethnographic material. Today its national collection and exhibitions promote knowledge of Solomon Islands’ cultures and its staff documents the nation’s languages and traditions in order to encourage the restoration of its rich cultural heritage (Foanaota 1980). Services provided for the general public include exhibitions, radio programmes, school visits, and festivals of traditional and contemporary music, dance, and song. The museum is open to all ideas, including the most recent, and is conceived as a forum for the discussion and exchange of views. Technical advice is given to islanders wishing to preserve their cultures, and to advocates of legislation for the protection of the cultural heritage.
