I presume the ³paranormal groups² in question are not made up of
anthropological or archeological scholars, but rather of believers in
occult or supernatural phenomena associated with current and past rituals
and artifacts (apologies if thatıs the wrong assumption). If your museum
embraces those beliefs and your policies allow for persons without
academic or scholarly credentials to have access to the collection, then
allowing such groups access would be in keeping with the museum mission.
If however the museum limits access to qualified scholars or sees its role
as educating the public about how history and myth intertwine from an
objective academic and scientific perspective, I would be wary of allowing
the collection to be used in a way that might distort such a mission in
the public perception.
Stephen Nowlin
Director, Williamson Gallery
Art Center College of Design
On 3/30/15, 11:14 AM, "Jerrie Clarke"
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>This is directed to museums that hold ancient and not so ancient Native
>American objects, including funerary items, as part of the collection or
>in safe-keeping for Native groups; though anyone can respond.
>
>Almost a year ago, I was contacted by 4 different paranormal groups who
>wanted to come late at night to do readings and filming in the museum. I
>was uneasy about letting them in and just about the time that I was
>feeling a little bombarded and told them noı, Dave Harvey offered his
>on-line paranormal course. I signed up and now better understand just
>what paranormal investigators do, what they may want to do with the
>findings, and how I can allow or restrict what they share (thanks again,
>Dave). He shared articles and policies and Iıve been working on our
>policy, as part of our use of museum by outside groups policy, that Iıd
>like to finish this week.
>
>However, Iım still a little concerned and our curator has some strong
>concerns. The curator and I have both previously worked in museums where
>there is an agreement about who can access these kinds of objects and how
>they are handled; even how one should behave when in their presence. The
>curatorıs concerns have to do with respect and sensitivity of the objects
>and the ancestors themselves. The hill on which Lost City Museum sits is
>an excavated Ancestral Puebloan site so there were living quarters and
>burials here. The artifacts on display and in storage were found in the
>excavations along the river that runs through the valley.
>
>Iıd like to know how other museums address this kind of request. Do you
>have a museum use policy specifically addressing paranormal groups?
>
>Jerrie
>
>Jerrie Clarke
>Director
>Lost City Museum
>PO Box 807
>Overton, NV 89040
>(702) 397-2193
>
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