Belau National Museum | History, Vision, Mission & Objectives

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Photo (top): Former Japanese Administration Weather Bureau building in 1955, which later served as the Belau National Museum.

Photo (top): Belau National Museum's newly completed building.

The Belau National Museum (BNM) is a non-profit semi-autonomous agency originally was established in the former Japanese Administration Weather Bureau in 1955, and is the oldest museum in Micronesia.

The Belau National Museum (BNM) is a dynamic institution for the preservation and promotion of the national heritage, exhibition of natural, cultural, social and historical values, and the development of arts at all levels.

The Belau National Museum is an institution of learning established to collect, cultural, preserve and display object of scientific, cultural, historical and aesthetic value. The Museum's purpose is to preserve and protect the nation's cultural heritage through collection, identification, documentation, preservation, interpretation and exhibition of specimens, artifacts and other Palauan cultural property.

"In the belief that no song, no performance, no act of creation can be properly understood apart from the culture in which it is found and of which it is a part, it is the purpose of the Belau National Museum (BNM) as a component of nation building is to identify, create, contextualize, and record Palau's past and present through collection, identification, documentation, preservation, interpretation, education and research, and exhibition of cultural and natural property for the people of Palau."

To meet its mission, it is the objective of BNM to undertake more marketing, effective research, documentation, collection and presentation of artifacts, natural history and the development of activities aimed at stimulating interests in culture and the arts. To this end, BNM envisages as its immediate objective the following areas: preservation and promotion, education, heritage management, fiscal responsibility and the culture and nature of its community.

Specifically:

Preservation and Promotion
- Maintain and develop facilities which protect the collections in a controlled environment, free of congestion with regulated light, temperature and humidity levels, and safe from damage of pests.
- Create an environment which presents the nation's history, nature and culture in an effective and inviting atmosphere.
Education
- Expand community awareness of the role of BNM through education programs.
Heritage Management
- Liaise with Palau's stakeholders to assist in identification, research and interpretation of tangible and intangible culture to protect, preserve, promote national heritage.
- To assist in carrying out Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Convention
- To promote the mandate of the Traditional Knowledge and Expressions of Culture Act.
Fiscal Responsibility
- Develop a revenue base to assure BNM ongoing financial viability through revenue-generating projects as well as grants from government, corporate sectors and overseas development agencies.
Strengthen BNM professional and administrative capabilities

Chartered n 1973, the museum is governed by a nine-member Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees governs the BNM and holds responsibility for establishing the overall guidelines and regulations. The Board of Trustees has also established a a strategic relationship with the Ministry of Community and Cultural Affairs (MCCA), who maintains a similar focus as the BNM, which is "to enhance the well being of the Community and to preserve and maintain Palau's heritage."

The Director/Curator is responsible for the daily operations of the BNM, which includes overseeing the nine sections of the museum: (1) Administration, (2) Ethnographic Objects/Art Collections, (3) Media Collections, (4) Research Library, (5) Art Program, (6) Ulekdubs Gift Shop, (7) Maintenance & Facility, (8) Natural History and (9) Museum Pedagogy.

The BNM provides a range of products and services, which include permanent, temporary, and traveling exhibits, an amphitheater, and a variety of community outreach programs. A traditional meeting hall, botanical garden, and war relics are outdoor exhibits that visiting guests to BNM will experience. The museum also houses the Ulekdubs Gift Shop and Keam Restaurant.