Reading the bones: Information content, value, and ownership issues raised by the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act

Abstract

The Native American Graves Protection Act of 1990 was intended to serve as a mechanism for the repatriation of artifacts to Native American groups. As a result of its implementation, questions have arisen concerning the nature of information as embodied in objects and the moral right to access that information. The ongoing debates and resolutions of the debates prompted by the act are fertile ground for the study of information content, ownership, and value. The situation provides an opportunity to observe the interactions of a variety of cultural groups in a controlled setting. Within the framework of the legislation, the Native American, museum, and professional archaeology communities have been forced to indicate their respective beliefs concerning the nature of information, their positions in terms of the ownership of that information, and the uses to which they intend or would like to put that information.