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

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