I found Deft Deliberations by Eco-Hawk and Monroe raised several questions for me. I agree that NAGPRA was necessary and find it abhorrent that museums of the time engaged in what amounts to grave robbing. It forced the profession to confront a not particularly shining moment of their own past and right that wrong. Yet this particular legislation opens the door to some further issues. What immediately springs to my mind is Kennewick Man. The 9500 year old remains of K-Man sparked a 10 year court battle between local tribes and scientists over whether they should be studied or buried. The knowledge that was gained through the study of this unique individual adds tremendously to the understanding of where we come from and who our ancient ancestors were. Had he simply been buried, that knowledge would have been lost forever. It raises the question of who history belongs to and how do we balance the needs of those who claim a direct link to the history with the needs of the public? These are questions that we, as historians, must approach with respect and caution.
This leads directly into Mining the Museum. The challenge of balance is faced by every museum in the world. Who gets a say in how artifacts are interpreted, studied, and displayed? Context is all important. Without it artifacts become a jumbled collection that has little meaning. Deciding what context should be used is part of the curator’s role. When people find their historical beliefs challenged, the results can be educational, especially when those results include anger and denial. Much can be learned by observing how visitors respond to the displays. I believe that what Fred Wilson did opened to door to some difficult conversations about our past, how we interpret it, and how people cling to ideals of what the past looks like. Mining the Museum is an example of a display that challenges people to view their belief systems in a new context. By changing the way the material culture of the area was seen, the museum gave voice to people who had never really had their history examined in such a context. I am glad that this article included both the positive and negative responses to Mining the Museum. My favorite quote was from the engineer who stated that “a museum should answer questions not raise questions unrelated to the subject.” I think that Mining the Museum both raised questions and answered them, and did so in a way that made museum visitors uncomfortable at times.