Museums Urged to Return Indigenous Remains and Relics

Unless museums can prove they were legally obtained with export permits from the countries they came from then they need to be returned. And if legally obtained and a country wants them back they should be sold at the price they were purchased (proof of purchase required) which will be much lower than current valuations.

Over the years since I was a child, I enjoyed going to musems with historical and cultural exhibits. The current trend is to deplete these museums possibly to the point of closure. What will this accomplish? 

Here's a set of arguments against repatriation:

1. Preservation and Education: Museums play an essential role in preserving the world's cultural heritage for current and future generations. They provide a controlled environment where artifacts can be protected from damage, degradation, and theft. Additionally, they offer the public the chance to learn about diverse cultures and histories that they might not otherwise encounter.

2. Accessibility: When artifacts are in museums, they're accessible to a wide range of people from around the globe who can learn from and appreciate them. Repatriation may limit the number of people who have access to these artifacts, therefore restricting universal knowledge and understanding of these cultures.

3. Research: Artifacts in museums often serve as important resources for academic and scientific research. Having these objects available for study can contribute to new insights and discoveries about human history and culture.

4. Universal Heritage: Some argue that certain artifacts belong to the heritage of all humankind, not just the specific culture from which they originated. From this perspective, keeping such items in museums allows for a shared understanding and appreciation of global cultural heritage.

5. Historical Context: Some of the artifacts were acquired during historical periods when the ethics and laws around collecting were different. While it's important to acknowledge past wrongs, some argue that the present should not be held to the standards of the past.

I's crucial to remember that this is a complex issue with many viewpoints, and the feelings and rights of indigenous communities must be taken into account.

I prefer a more collaborative approaches that respect both the role of museums and the rights of source communities.

Further, as technology evolves, perhaps there will be a way to record these artifacts in such a way that, say,  extremely accurate models can be constructed for display. 

Any human remains should be returned.

The original idea behind taking itemd other than personal war trophies, was for a museum to put it on display to honor or amaze local citizens about a different cultures. 

In todays society, cultural ignorance is a result of poor education on history both local and world. 

Cultural explorers and conquerors played a role in ultimately showing many indigenous people why their history has value. Would Egyptian Pharoes be seen as smart and wealthy as the were if the Rosetta Stone had been left in place? Rameses self promoting monuments and  inscriptions about the battles against Hittites would make the accomplishments less clear without the translations the Rosetta Stone provided. 

Locking culural pieces away or reburying them denies knowledge of past societies and the tole they played. National Museums should trade and loan with other museums to enhance both collections. Today we can digitally preserve images, recreate items in appearance through digital printing, but copies lack knowledge of original methods of creation.  Keep originals in places where they can be examined and where they will inspire youngsters to appreciate other cultures. We will all be safer that way.

Identify the artifacts and ASK the people!  Some artifacts need to be returned, the ones they ASK for.  They may prefer that some remain on display to provide examples and education for the broader public.  That decision should belong to the people to whom the artifacts belong by right.

emagine your grandmothers grave being put on display in a museum

I do support this if the tribes would like the items returned.   While i appreciate the items in the museums to be able to see and learn about the indigenous people, i understand about their desire to have the artifacts - especially the human and religious pieces.  

Return all that do not have proof of purchase.

100 percent, just think about all the things that were not given to black americans, after helping this country become one of the richest countries in the world. 

they weren't given land after their freedom 

freed with no education 

the ones that we're fortunate to maintain land on many occasions had their land burn to the ground 

they werenot considered citizens 

could not vote 

could not hold office 

any jobs they could obtain, they were paid far less than their white counterparts 

redllined into areas that were underfunded 

they were not allowed to take part in the G.I. bill program when returning from war. 

I could continue but I think I made my point.

This was fellt generationally by black americans. Causing a financial gap that continues to grow even today. 

Reparations are simply justice.

Overall, I support it. If the countries want them back, they should get them back. Looting should not be rewarded.

That said, the whole point of a museum is to show things that people otherwise wouldn't get to see. It's all well and good when countries or peoples want their artifacts back, but most of us probably aren't going to visit Sri Lanka any time soon. I think, in these cases, either some sort of monetary reimbursement may be fair, or possibly reproductions.

While I don't condone stealing other peoples' artifacts, at the same time, if the British Museum were only filled with displays of British stuff, it would kind of suck.

Stolen goods should be returned to the descendents of the people who originally made/owned them.

Put them back where you 'found' them

We have been looting for years. It needs to be corrected! 

CAUSES TELLS ME, THEN ASKS: " During centuries of global colonial expansion, settlers looted Indigenous remains, funerary objects, and cultural artifacts as part of campaigns of cultural genocide. Many countries are returning these artifacts as part of a process of historical reckoning.  Do you support repatriations?" 

ME;  For the most part, I do.  Having a long background in history and art history/archaeology, the conundrum arises when to return such artifacts to their country (or culture) of origin would actually result in their destruction, and a loss on many levels to the world at large. Consider, for example, the incredible destruction of important historical objects and monuments by radical Islam in its quest to eradicate an artistic past it seeks to deny throughout the Islamic world. That, too, is cultural genocide.  Although most professional organizations, if not all, decry unprovinanced objects, the people of MANY countries loot (read "murder") their own historical cultures' objects to sell on the international black market.  Most countries lack the resources to adequately protect what they have; and, of course, looting in places and times of war carries on today (witness: Ukraine), another evil practice that seems impossible to stop.  

Repatriation is good, but not always.

All cultural artifacts, and, remains should be returned to their points of origin.

If my home was robbed, and the police catch the criminal, the items stolen from my home must be returned to my family.  The same is true of these items that sit in the museum.

I support the return of artifacts based on how they were obtained.  If they were obtained without consent, then they should be returned if the country/group or orgin wants them back then they should be returned.  If however, permission was or is given to keep them then keep them or if the interested party wishes payment of some kind then make the payment.  Frankly, the idea of someone raiding my grave to display my bones is pretty repulsive (in fact I think there are laws against such acts).  So, I believe that showing respect for the dead is something that should be practiced.

I really love seeing indigenous artifacts such as those in the National Museum of the American Indian. However, I understand that around the world, museums and exhibits are showing remains and artifacts that were stolen from native peoples and those who were conquered through imperialism. 

I hope there's a way that all items that were taken forcibly or stolen can be returned, and still have enough items in museums for the public to enjoy. This may be a difficult effort, but it seems like it's time to do the right thing.

Imagine if it was your culture that you wanted to return.

We have a terrible habit of stealing things that aren't ours. This needs to stop.

Native Americans deserve to have their treasures bsck