Museum Ownership of Human Remains Questioned

By Allison Gold, posted on June 8, 2013

The New York Times posted an article that talks about indigenous cultures who are demanding that museums return human remains. These artifacts that we see as important to modern science, art and education, are someones ancestors, and those groups feel strongly that their relatives remains should no longer be on display. The question for us as museum-goers is an ethical one. Natural history museums are some of the world's most popular, and we flock to these museums not only to be entertained but also to learn -- about human biology and about different cultures. Without these human artifacts, museums will lose many educational pieces, but we can understand why people want their ancestors' remains returned. It's a tricky question -- one we here at The Archivists are split on.

Take a look at the article and head to our Facebook page or tweet us @the_archivists to tell us what you think!