Phelan, Monroe and Echo-Hawk focus their essays on museum ethics and repatriation of artifacts. Both pieces discussed the inherent issues behind the accidental or purposeful acquisition of stolen artifacts and then the repatriation of said artifacts to their rightful owners. While the issue can often have black or white examples, I feel that the authors did not explore the gray areas quite thoroughly enough. I know both essays had a word limit and all the authors involved needed to get their point across very quickly, and therefore would like to see if they cover the issue better in other works. The gray area, in my opinion, is that of preservation of the artifact. Repatriation from US museum artifacts back to American tribes is pretty cut and dry, but what about museums like the British Museum that contain artifacts from all over the world? Greece’s Parthenon is beautifully displayed in its own section of the British Museum, yet Greece has been trying to get their artifacts back for many years. Many countries have stolen Egyptian antiquities that obviously belong to the country of Egypt. In many cases, however, the artifacts repatriation would end in the destruction or damage of the artifact. Greece is completely broke and Egypt is a military dictatorship at the moment. Returning any artifacts to these countries would not bode well for the artifact’s continued existence.
These are extreme examples, to be sure, but should there be some question of ethics behind the preservation of artifacts as much as to whom they belong? To be honest here, I’m not sure what the correct answer is. A Crow headdress may belong to the tribe, but they may not have the ability or motivation to preserve the headdress in a way that it would survive the test of time. Should there be some guarantee of preservation or care? Or do the ethics of returning items to the original owner overshadow those questions and thoughts? Dr. Zahi Hawass was instrumental in the repatriation of many artifacts back onto Egyptian soil, yet most of his work has been damaged, destroyed, or stolen with the recent turn of Egyptian politics. Is there ever a guarantee of preservation when you’re letting one of your artifacts move to another space? I’m very interested to hear what you all have to say about this issue in class or perhaps in different articles for class.