Hazardous Heritage: Hymn Singing and Decolonization Among the Moluccan-Protestant Diaspora in the Netherlands

The singing of the hymn Sekarang bri sjukur in the Moluccan-Protestant diaspora community in the Netherlands makes clear the complex sides and layeredness of religious heritage. Depending on the subject and situation, the characterization of a religious practice as heritage can be both empowering and offending. The religious practice of hymn singing among the Moluccan diaspora is a unique case study to highlight the paradoxical aspects of colonial and decolonial heritage. Moluccan people refer to religious traditions like hymn singing as heritage, to emphasize the central place of this practice in their (de)colonial history and identity and to align with creative opportunities that make innovative preservation possible. A similar designation expressed by the Dutch government regarding the presence of Moluccan people in the Netherlands was interpreted as an outrageous insult. The top-down use of the word heritage by the Dutch government in relation to the Moluccan diaspora was experienced as offending, because it negated, suppressed, and ignored the political history of the Moluccan community. Heritage vocabularies might provide people with opportunities that channel politics of preservation. But they might also flatten complicated sensibilities that deal with the messiness of colonial pasts and relations, especially among the decolonized diaspora. Anthropological fieldwork is a strong approach for making the complexities and sensibilities of decolonial heritage come to light.