Harmful Pesticides in Museum Collections Complicate Repatriation Efforts

Photo caption: Eric Hollinger, a tribal liaison for the repatriation office of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, testing a Tlingit rattle from Hoonah, Alaska. Photo courtesy of Eric Hollinger and the Hoonah Indian Association. Article by Maya Pontone. Hyperallergic – February 23, 2023.

The use of pesticides and preservatives in museums dates back hundreds of years. But as institutions face public pressure to repatriate cultural items looted over centuries of imperialism, what has long been a common practice to protect collections from pests and mold is now coming under scrutiny. And for the tribal communities involved in these repatriation efforts, the contamination of these objects presents a multitude of questions around the safe handling and use of returned items. […]

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