Hallo Michelle,

If I have understood your request correctly, it is not about 
repatriation of objects, but about a temporary loan to the community of 
origin for an unspecified rite. Actually, it seems to me that you do not 
need a particularly fixed policy for this case, because it can be 
treated as any other temporary loan (to other museums or the previous 
owner/collector): It must be ensured that the object (in the same 
condition as before) afterwards reaches your museum again and, should it 
be restored after the rite, that the costs of restoration are borne by 
the borrower. It also needs to be clarified what the security of the 
object looks like during the absence of the museum, who covers the cost 
of the courier trips, etc.

The main problem seems to be that your contractor is not a museum bound 
to museum principles. Using a museum object for a rite, means: it can be 
treated, during the rite, not as a museum object. It may be touched with 
fingers (while you use gloves), it gets contact with smoke and other 
stuff avoided by your museum. It may be carried around, kissed or 
sprinckled with holy liquids etc.

On the other hand, for an object of ethnic context, it is just the "use 
in real life" which makes it authentic. An object made for the tourist 
market (or for museums...) will never reach this level of authenticity. 
Therefore, maybe, this loan could enhance your object with a higher 
grade of authenticity.

Who is the borrower? A private person? The community of origin? The 
borrower must be able to bear any recourse claims that may arise. In 
some cases, he should also have been commissioned or elected by the 
community and can prove this. Just an assertion to represent the 
interests of a community is not enough, especially not in the 
repatriation of objects.

Moreover, we always regard communities of origin as a single entity. But 
this is a romantic auxiliary construction which does not take into 
account the western influences. Some native communities for example are 
spread today over several continents. There are members of these 
communities who do not identify with the old faith, there are those who 
honor the old culture and others who do not know it anymore. As in real 
life, not every "representative" is recognized by every member of a 
community.

Hope this helps

Christian

Editor of EXPOTIME!, member of ICOM Germany and IIC Austria*
Verlag Dr. Christian Müller-Straten*
Kunzweg 23, 81243 München, Germany
http://www.museum-aktuell.de
T. 0049-(0)89-839 690 43, Fax -44
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