I make the time -  when something is really important to me and I
feel very strongly about it. It is part of my work, particularly when it is
about the viewing "others" with ones own spectacles on and not being
sensitive to difference  -  and the consequences that have followed this in
the past and continue to do so.

Melissa Neidorf
Associate Coordinator of Exhibitions
Museum of Jewish Heritage, One Battery Park Plaza, New York, NY 10004
Telephone: (212) 968 1800 x 178   Fax: (212) 968 1368
Email: [log in to unmask]



> Just a quick question, not intended to point a finger . . .
>
> Where do you all find the time in a workday to engage in all this
> typewritten conversation?? Just trying to keep up with what I find related
> to my line of work (museum education) consumes enough time. It just
> strikes
> me funny that you all have the time to engage in this sort of
> e-conversation
> given how much work museum professionals have in a given day (and
> evening).
> Just my two cents. Thanks.
>
> Peter Lamothe
> ISGM
> Boston, MA
> (my thoughts only)
>
> > ----------
> > From:         Deb Fuller
> > Reply To:     Museum discussion list
> > Sent:         Wednesday, November 10, 1999 11:28 AM
> > To:   [log in to unmask]
> > Subject:      Re: research help
> >
> > In a message dated Wed, 10 Nov 1999 10:31:14 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> > "Neidorf, Melissa" <[log in to unmask]> writes:
> >
> >
> > >         Different cultures give their own meaning to their own objects
> > than
> > > people from outside that culture.
> >
> > And that's fine.  But it's one thing to say, "We should be sensitive to
> > other cultures" and other thing to put a blanket limit on not displaying
> > anything religious because SOME cultures don't want their things
> > displayed.
> >
> > >         Different cultures give their own meaning to their own objects
> > than
> > > people from outside that culture. Example, Aboriginal Australian
> culture
> > is
> > > now estimated at least around 50,000 years  and todays links and
> meaning
> > to
> > > that past are not decreased or seen as invalid because another culture
> > > detemines that Western notions of time is revelant to cultural
> > significance.
> >
> > In that case, there is a direct link between the "modern" people and
> their
> > ancestors and thus I think they have a valid right to say how their
> > artifacts are handled.  I don't think it's a valid right for "modern"
> > Native American tribes to dictate what happens to prehistoric tribes
> when
> > there isn't a clear connection between tribes.  People moved in and out
> of
> > America and some prehistoric tribes have no direct modern decendants.  I
> > don't think anyone has the right to dictate what happens to the remains
> or
> > artifacts of peoples that aren't "direct", proven ancestors.
> >
> >  >
> > >         Different cultures give their own meaning to their own objects
> > than
> > > people from outside that culture. Links and meaning are not invalid
> > because
> > > another culture detemines HOW OR WHY OR WHAT is revelant and
> culturally
> > > significant.
> >
> > So who determines "culture"?  I don't think anyone is going to argue
> that
> > while Native Americans are part of a  broad culture of "Native American"
> > but there are hundreds of Native American tribes that are vastly
> different
> > from each other.  Same with being "African" or "American".  How close do
> > cultures have to be to have power over what happens to artifacts?  My
> > example pointed out that an Eastern tribe was trying to "take back"
> > artifacts from a Southwestern tribe.  Those two tribes have very little
> in
> > common "culturally" other than both being Native American.  They come
> from
> > two completely different areas - almost opposite - areas of the country,
> > have different customs and different ways of life.  It's the same as
> > someone from New York City and someone from Savana, GA are both
> "American"
> > in a broad cultural sense but have little in common outside that broad
> > culture.
> >
> >
> > >         Different cultures give their own meaning to their own objects
> > and
> > > history than people from outside that culture.
> >
> > That does not address the point of making claims on objects that were
> > freely given up by members of the same culture.  And what about things
> > that were discarded and collected?  Again, I don't know of a culture
> that
> > makes claims on trash dropped by their people hundreds or thousands of
> > years ago.
> >
> > >         It aint nothing to do with PC - Just being sensitive to other
> > > cultures and mindful of your own yardsticks.
> >
> > My yardsticks are the same across cultures and I don't know of many
> > cultures that make claims on artifacts that are hundreds of years old.
> If
> > something is sold or given away, I don't see how anyone other than the
> > present owner should have rights to it and certainly someone doesn't
> have
> > the right to come in and claim it back unless there are extreme
> > circumstances. It's one thing to say, "I'm sorry.  I didn't know that
> the
> > quilt I sold you was a family heirlom and would like it back."  It's
> quite
> > another one to say, "We want those baskets that were given to the museum
> > over 100 years ago completely of my ancestor's free will."  Or "We want
> > those artifacts back from that prehistoric tribe that is Native American
> > but has no living decendants because they died out over 1000 years ago."
> >
> > Deb Fuller
> >
>

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