Repatriation and the Threat to Objective Knowledge

Abstract

The values of multiculturalism and scientific progress collide with federal laws such as the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, which require that human remains and cultural items discovered on tribal lands be given over to the descendants of Native Americans. For many of these descendants, the scientific study of objects that could improve our understanding of North American culture, history, and biology is not a high priority.