By the same token, the objects and other expressions of material culture that form part of the collection of the future National Museum of Timor-Leste represent more than the memory of activities lost in distant times: they are an integral part of the identity of the Timorese people, old and young, women and men, in our country and in the diaspora--His Excellency Mr. Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao -- p. 11.