An intriguing aspect of this discussion for Native Americans lies in the
resistance to NAGPRA that has been voiced strongly by many museum
directors and board. One of the now classic complaints has been that
NAGPRA would return objects to Indians just to see those same artifacts
sold back to collectors who would donate them back to the museum.  This
fear of creating a revolving door has been discussed with great vehemence
by easily identified members of the museum community.

It is possibly ethnocentrically revealing to see this same issue discussed
as deaccessions and museum store discussion in this thread.  I wonder if
the other fears will surface as to the destruction of the museum, the
looting of collections by special interest groups, the destruction of
human history.  The Kenniwick Man is still in the midst of this debate.

Best,

Paul Apodaca


On Fri, 7 Aug 1998, Martha Jackson wrote:

> David,
>
> Tread carefully when advising the return of a collection to a donor.
> Often the donor has reported the donation to the IRS and received a tax
> credit.  The federal government would frown on someone receiving a tax
> credit for what was essentially a loan instead of a gift.
>
> Ethically, one should inform the donor(s) that the collection will be or
> has been deaccessioned and what the disposition of that collection is.  If
> it is to be sold at public auction, inform the donor(s) of the date, time,
> and place.  If he/they want the collection back, they can bid on it.
>
> We use funds realized from public auction to purchase needed items for the
> collections.  The original donor's name is associated with that
> collection for indirectly providing funds to purchase the collection.
>
> Martha Battle Jackson, Registrar        (919) 733-7862
> NC Historic Sites                       Fax: (919) 733-9515
> 109 East Jones Street                   [log in to unmask]
> Raleigh, NC  27601-2807
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Opinions expressed in this message may not represent the policy of my agency.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> "Don't part with your illusions.  When they are gone, you may still
> exist, but you have ceased to live."--Mark Twain
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>