Actually, Federal law says absolutely nothing about photography (or display
or storage) of objects that Native people identify as sacred but are not
requested for repatriation.   It can be Museum policy to treat those objects
differently than the rest of the collection, but it is not a legal
requirement.

If indeed, the appropriate tribal representatives have requested that
certain objects not be photographed, then it is the Museum's decision to
honor that request.   The answer to the Navajo who want to photograph a
Sioux object is then simply, we are honoring the Sioux's request; wouldn't
you want us to honor any request you might make about Navajo objects as
well?

Janice Klein
Director, Mitchell Museum of the American Indian, Kendall College
[log in to unmask]
www.mitchellmuseum.org

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FROM AMY WEST, HIGGINS ARMORY

2 examples from our place:

When we had an exhibit of Russian icons, our conservator (who also designed
the exhibit) made a kneeler that went in front of the focal point (icon of
Mary & Jesus) of the exhibit. I thought that was a great idea.

The next is a bit more problematic:
We have a Native American headdress on display -- on loan to us from a
smaller institution -- and we instruct visitor that there are no
photographs of it allowed. We get the "why?" And the stock response handed
down from on high is because of Federal law recognizing the religious
wishes of the Native Americans (because it's a religious/ceremonial
artefact, etc.). That usually puts things to rest. The headdress is Sioux.
I had some Navajo visitors come through and when I told them no photography
of the headdress, they asked, well, what if *we* want to photograph it?
Talk about awkward moments! I replied, that's entirely up to you.


---Amy

------------------------------
Look, I have ONE job on this lousy ship. It's STUPID, but I'm gonna do it,
OKAY?
- Gwen DeMarco in _Galaxy Quest_

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