Thomas,

I just wanted to check and make sure that we are talking about 'fumigation' from a cultural standpoint - i.e. smudging will have no effect on pest control and has no place in an IPM program.  However, since some Native American cultures believe that their art and artifacts have a life force to them and so if what you mean is 'fumigation' for to cleanse the soul of the artifact (for lack of a better description) then that should be fine. 

When I worked on the National Museum of the American Indian Move Project we did frequent smudgings in non-collection areas and occasional smudging in collection areas.  No burnt material was left in the collections and all proper precautions for fire safety were carefully followed.  I would imaging that NMAI continues to have smudging ceremonies associated with visits from tribal members.  Feel free to contact me off-list if you'd like the name of some current NMAI staff to contact to see what their current policy and procedures are for this.

Best,  Rachael

Rachael Perkins Arenstein

[log in to unmask]



From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Thomas Kavanagh
Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 3:14 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Smudging in a Tribal Museum

 

Listeros (and conservators in particular):

An question has arisen in regard to a tribal museum for which tribe I am a sometime historical/cultural/NAGPRA consultant.
 The museum building [which has no secure storage, only exhibition and office space] also houses the tribal NAGPRA offices. When they (the latter) receive repatriated artifacts (not burials), they often "smudge" them, smoke them as a blessing (and to fumigate them, if you will) with cedar or sage smoke. [An off-site secure storage for the NAGPRA items is available.]
 The museum director, a tribal member and trained archaeologist, but not a long-time community resident, has issued a "burn ban" on any smudging in the building. This has upset the NAGPRA committee.
 What say ye:
 Is the occasional exposure [e.g., perhaps once every twenty years per artifact] of artifacts to cedar/sage smoke necessarily harmful? One of the tribe's NAGPRA board, a trained ornithologist, and the source of the above "fumigation" comment, suggests that it might be beneficial for items that have not been kept in ideal collections conditions. [I am also told that an examination of the building's blue prints shows that the exhibition space and the office space [i.e., museum and NAGPRA spaces] are on separate and distinct HVAC circuits.]
 Thomas Kavanagh, PhD
====================
Stay in touch when you're away with Windows Live Messenger. IM anytime you're online. ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information:

The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).