Native American repatriation in the auction industry: A transparent approach
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26881/gsm.2020.18.07Keywords:
Native American cultural heritage, restitution, transparency, auction industry, culturally sensitive materialsAbstract
United States legislation protecting Native American cultural heritage fails to extend to the private sector, allowing auction houses to continue contributing to the misappropriation and displacement of Native American cultural heritage. In response to this problem, Revere Auctions developed a Native American Objects Ethics Policy that lays out a transparent methodology for handling Native American cultural patrimony, with a focus on consultation with the Association of American Indian Affairs and Tribal government officials. By enacting this policy, we hope to help facilitate the repatriation of Native American cultural heritage and create new trends in the way the auction houses approach culturally sensitive materials.
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References
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Sources of law
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, 25 U.S.C. § 3003(a), 1990.
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