The Ethics of Collecting Cultural Property : Whose Culture? Whose Property?

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Summary: Author's comments
Review: This goal of this volume is to present a variety of perspectives on cultural heritage issues to a broad audience, from archaeologists to collectors, museum curators to the general public. As editor of this volume of essays originally published in 1989, and author of the 1999 update, I believe it is extremely important for all of us to be part of an ongoing dialogue about how to preserve the past for the future. When the University of New Mexico Press approached me to update the original volume, I was struck by the changes that have occurred in the last decade. In the United States, the passage and implementation of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, or NAGPRA, has had a major impact on the treatment and disposition of American Indian objects of cultural heritage. And the world wide web has had a major impact on the kinds of information that is readily available to anyone, whether for the trade of antiquities or for tracking down stolen artifacts. At the same time, the problem of illegal and unethical destruction of the past continues--and in some areas of the world, has worsened. I hope the reader will find the essays thought-provoking and the appendices, including an overview of U.S. and international laws, statements of professional ethics, and a listing of resources and organizations, to be helpful in developing one's own stance on stewardship of the past.