Another issue at hand here is the apparent ethical violations of Small, or any staff or trustee member for that matter, actively collecting objects similar to those collected by the institution for which he works. Furthermore, that the institution exhibited the private collection of staff or trustee member also raises some serious ethical concerns.
Kristen S. Watts
Curatorial Research Associate
Mint Museum of Craft + Design
704-337-2058
[log in to unmask]
www.mintmuseum.org
-----Original Message-----
From: Hugh H. Genoways [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2004 6:48 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Scandal at the Smithsonian
Whether the objects were made before or after the birds that were previous "owners" of the offending feathers became endangered or not is not the issue here under the U. S. Endangered Species and the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species. One question is whether this material was imported before after these acts were in place. The earliest effective date is 1973. If they were imported after the acts were in place, they needed to be accompanied by CITIES permits from the country of origin, export permits from country of origin, and a U. S. import permit (form 3-177). The penalty under these laws is to be a $10,000 fine and/or
one year in jail for each offense (read each item). There are plenty of
scientists at the Smithsonian and around the U. S. that follow these laws on a daily basis and if they don't, they are fined and the items confiscated.
Finally, I believe there is a legal maxim that states: "Ignorance of the law is no excuse."
Hugh
>I really only see a few problems with the situation.
>
>Nobody cared or noticed these offending feathers when they were
>displayed at National Geographic or Duke University or when they were
>owned by this mysterious and unkown collector. When did somebody
>decide to make a fuss? OH, when the offending piece belonged to the
>Secretary of the Smithsonian! What a coincidence!
>
>Oh, and the Washington Post should probably try to do a little research
>and be a little more responsible in their reporting, try finding out
>what the "trust fund" at the Smithsonian really is before you put it
>into print. (By the way, they are NOT "private" funds)
>
>On another line, about this "tribal" feather piece. Was it made before
>or after the birds that were previous "owners" of the offending
>feathers became endangered? Shouldn't that be taken into account?
>Just some fuel for the fire.
>
>Trish
>
>
>
>
>>From: Indigo Nights <[log in to unmask]>
>>Reply-To: Museum discussion list <[log in to unmask]>
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: Scandal at the Smithsonian
>>Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2004 06:32:49 -0800
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>>
>>There have been a couple of newsworthy museum stories
>>in the last 24 hours that I'm surprised this group has bypassed. The
>>biggest of these involve Lawrence Small, head of the Smithsonian:
>>
>>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37118-2004Jan21.html
>>
>>Another article on this story can be found on the
>>MuseNews lists:
>>
>>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MuseNews-Art
>>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MuseNews-General
>>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MuseNews-History
>>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MuseNews-Science
>>
>>
>>=====
>>Indigo Nights
>>[log in to unmask]
>>
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Hugh H. Genoways
University of Nebraska State Museum
W436 Nebraska Hall
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lincoln, NE 68588-0514
Telephone: 402-472-2012
FAX: 402-472-8949
E-mail: <[log in to unmask]>
Professor
Museum Studies Program
Chair
Museum Studies Program
Visit our website at <http://www.unl.edu/museumstudies>
"State identity in my opinion is football and pheasants." Governor Mike Johanns State of Nebraska February 16, 2003
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