Dear Friends,

        I am preparing to do some research for an upcoming internship
project and my MA thesis.  I am interested in looking at the effects that
traveling exhibits have on local communities, specifically Native American
and other minority groups, other than purely economic.
        The concept of repatriation extends beyond the legislatively
mandated return of human remains and certain cultural materials to
encompass the return of knowledge and awareness of objects in museum
collections to the Native communities from which they originally derived
(Loring 1995: 13).  In this regard, traveling exhibits can function as a
form of repatriation -- without the actual permanent relocation of
objects.
        For example, in the specific case I will be looking at, it has
been suggested that the impact of recent exhibits includes the continuing
use of exhibit teacher's guides in schools and the recurring appearance of
images from exhibition objects in contemporary works of Native art.
        As yet I have not identified any articles that address the issue
of the long-term impact of traveling exhibits, or any sources that discuss
the above broader definition of repatriation.  I would greatly appreciate
being advised of sources that do (including unpublished manuscripts).
Comments on this issue are also welcome.  Please respond to me personally
at [log in to unmask]

Thanks in advance!


Warmest Regards,
Kelley Curtis

Applied Anthropology
University of South Florida
Tampa