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It's telling that the British Museum doesn't address the elephant in the room: will they be returning the cloak to the Maori people? If not, why not? While it
by peteforde 4y ago
It's telling that the British Museum doesn't address the elephant in the room: will they be returning the cloak to the Maori people?
If not, why not?
While it's laudible that they contribute conservation and reconstruction expertise to projects like this - they are well funded and this is in their mandate, after all - if the ultimate goal doesn't include a discussion of returning the cultural history to the people and places it was taken from, then this just more whitewashing of troubling colonial attitudes that continue to this day.
- lostlogin 4y agoJohn Oliver did a segment on this recently. The British Museum is amazing, but you don't have to dig very deep or think very hard to find some very uncomfortable truths. It's a very depressing topic. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/oct/03/john-oliver-stolen-antiquities-western-museums https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/oct/03/john-ol...
- EdwardDiego 4y ago> It's telling that the British Museum doesn't address the elephant in the room: will they be returning the cloak to the Maori people? Because they're not in possession of it, another museum is. They're just helping.
- obviousquest 4y agoWhy haven't the Maori conserved the other ones?
- mkl 4y agoThey probably got used until they were worn out, while this one's been safe in storage. They weren't designed and made to be museum pieces, but to be worn (not for everyday purposes so much as ceremonially as a symbol of power and respect).
- simonvc 4y agoThis isn't an artifact that was stolen, it was bought by or given freely to a doctor who donated it to the museum in the late 1800s. All the greek and egyptian stuff should be returned though.
- mkl 4y ago> who donated it to the museum To a completely different museum in Scotland.
- Veen 4y ago> will they be returning the cloak to the Maori people? No, because it's not owned by the British Museum, but by the Perth Museum and Art Gallery.