This week we will continue our exploration of NAGPRA and how Native American ancestors (human remains), Sacred objects, and objects of Cultural Patrimony have ended up in American museums.
You will reading about two important repatriations and on case study regarding the effectiveness of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
Read all the files I have attached
Also, read these linked readings
URL Link: https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2023/02/haffenreffer-did-not-adequately-consult-with-narragansett-regarding-possession-of-human-remains-narragansett-officials-saylink:
URL Link: https://hma.brown.edu/about/history
URL Link: https://www.penn.museum/collections/shotridge/shotridgebio.html
Watch the Ted Talk: Why museums are returning cultural treasures: Focus on Zuni War Gods
Link to Ted Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/chip_colwell_why_museums_are_returning_cultural_treasure
Then, write a brief overview of the repatriations of the Zuni War Gods, including why the War Gods are important to the Zuni and a brief explanation of how they ended up in a museum and why they need to go back to the Zuni. Do the same for the Shotridge collection at UPENN. What are the main issues in how the Shotridge Collection was acquired by the PENN Museum. Should the Zuni wars gods or the Tlingit Cultural items ever have been in a museum? Was there any benefit in these items being collected for “preservation” purposes.
Compare these repatriations to the Haffenreffer Collection. Read enough about Haffenreffer’s collecting to understand why he collected Native American Culture and why he established the museum. The Haffenreffer is a good case study in how Native American Cultural material, and unfortunately human remains, were collected, especially in the 19th century.
Do you think that the origin of the Haffenreffer collection has anything to do with the reluctance of the Haffenreffer to repatriate human remains and potentially any other items claimed for repatriation by Native Americans?
Remember that you only have to write 500 words so summarize the cases and provide an overall understanding of how NAGPRA is helping to decolonize museums and what are the potential shortfalls of NAGPRA.
