I don't know what you're experience is at your institution, but here
consideration for sensibilities of human beings in no way constricts our
ability to do good science. Sure, we don't display mummies in the exhibit
area any more, but we still do physical anthropology and still teach
physical anthro to grads and undergrads. And we still maintain a good
working relationship with Natives in the villages.
        We've taken the attitude that we all have a great deal to learn from
each other through this repatriation process. It's not necessary for us
to have a scientific chip on our shoulder, or to feel in any way
apologetic for our own needs, or for theexcesses of our preedecessors that
brought us to this point. We are a legitimate museum carrying out our mission
of service to the scientific community and the public, regardless of their
ethnic origins or relationship to any of the objects we maintain in our collecti
ons.
        We do what we do best, which is maintain these collections for
display and research, to meet the need of a diverse community of users. We
seek creative avenues to meet the needs of our users, including ways
through which cultural materials can be maintained within their cultural
context while at the same time serving the needs of scientific research.
In many cases we have been very successful at bringing together these
diverse needs.
        Beating of breasts and gnashing of teeth does nothing to further
the cause of museum curation, In this time of enormous change, we
simply have to grab the opportunities that come our way to meet these
challenges. In my experience, we have benfitted enormously through
a cooperative approach.
        Mike Lewis
        Univeristy of Alaska Museum