Allard Pierson fellow for cartography

During her fellowship, Sushmeeta Ganesh will examine how maps, geographical data and objects from the KNAG expeditions to Suriname were institutionalized in Dutch museums, with a focus on the Allard Pierson’s cartographic collections. Although Indigenous and Maroon communities were central to the production of geographical knowledge and cartography, their contribution was often minimized or omitted in expedition reports. By studying maps, but also field journals, registers, photographs and associated ethnographic objects, this research aims to uncover the collaborative knowledge practices between KNAG explorers, Indigenous guides and Maroon communities. Through renewed interpretation of these sources, the research seeks to foreground their geographical and ecological knowledge, their labor and cultural contributions. As a wider outcome, the results will support more inclusive descriptions of the cartographic heritage of the Allard Pierson. 

Sushmeeta Ganesh holds a Master’s degree in History with a specialization in Archaeology. She works as a provenance researcher and administrative assistant for the NWO Project ‘Decolonizing Epistemologies: The Reinterpretation of Existing Traditional Knowledge in Suriname’ at the Anton de Kom University of Suriname. In addition to provenance research, Sushmeeta has conducted archaeological research in Suriname’s interior and historic inner city.