Event: Vigango, Ancestors, Sacred Objects, and Informed Consent: 15 Years of Restorative Justice at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science


Date & Time

April 28, 2022 - 12:00pm
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Contact Information

Michelle Jacobson
mjacobson@ioa.ucla.edu

Location

Fowler A222 (Seminar Room)

Event Type

Cotsen Public Lecture

Event Details

Dr. Stephen E. Nash

Director of Anthropology and the Avenir Conservation Center
Denver Museum of Nature and Science

Thursday, April 28 at 12:00pm PT

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Hybrid event  In-person at A222 Fowler and Online (Zoom)

The Cotsen Institute of Archaeology invites you to a special talk presented by the Waystation Program:

During the last two decades, increasing awareness of the frequently illicit origin of archaeological objects has resulted in changes to acquisition policies in American museums. In addition, many museums are re-evaluating the ethics of collecting and working with indigenous communities to return or reinterpret sensitive cultural heritage. For more than 15 years, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science has taken a leadership role in repatriation and international returns by going above and beyond the letter of the law(s), using the principles of justice, dialogue, reciprocity, and respect to guide their activities. This talk examines the museum’s success, and occasional failure, through a series of case studies: the return of 30 vigango (ancestral grave posts) to the Mijikenda tribes of coastal Kenya, and shrunken heads to the Shuar-speaking peoples of Ecuador; the reburial of non-Native human remains in Crestone, Colorado; and the repatriation of Native American ancestors to numerous Tribal Nations in the U.S. The new Avenir Conservation Center is focused on inclusive conservation guided by source communities and may one day include a formal program to facilitate international returns and repatriations.

Stephen Nash, Director of Anthropology and the Avenir Conservation Center

at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, is an archaeologist, columnist, historian of science, and stand-up comedian. He is currently studying the Mogollon archaeology of southwestern New Mexico, Indian peace medals in the Museum’s Crane Collection, and the enchanting Russian gem carving sculptures of Vasily Konovalenko. He has written and edited seven books and dozens of peer-reviewed articles and published nearly 40 Curiosities columns for the SAPIENS online magazine. Prior to working at the Denver Museum, he served as head of collections in the Department of Anthropology at the Field Museum in Chicago.