Hello,

The following story from the Sacramento Bee (http://www.sacbee.com)
was sent to you by: indigo ([log in to unmask]).

And indigo had this to say:

A rather thought-provoking article.

You can read this story in its entirety on the web at:
http://www.sacbee.com/24hour/opinions/story/3289091p-12123043c.html

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RANDY SALZMAN: Removing relics vs. preserving history

Last Updated  3:17 pm PDT Tuesday, May 16, 2006
(CMS) - It took trips to opposite corners of the globe to
settle my
opinion as to whether museums' collections represented the
"preservation" or "theft" of other cultures' artifacts.

In Australia, the Melbourne Museum broadcasts this debate
through a video featuring actors playing two 19th-century
historical
figures - a museum curator and an Aboriginal chieftain. Baldwin
Spencer, who collected 5,000 objects from indigenous Aboriginals,
argued that anthropology preserved history. Irrapwe, an Arrernte
leader
known as "King Charley," argued it was theft of culture.

Since Aboriginal law differentiates between men's and women's
knowledge and prohibits entire races from even seeing their
cultural
icons, I left Australia secure that native cultures should
reserve the
absolute right to control their artifacts.
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