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Repatriation & Museums

Museums have a dark past, but we can fix that | Chip Colwell | TEDxMileHigh

Museums are beloved cultural institutions, with more than 850 million visits each year in the U.S. alone. But behind the scenes, a war is raging - many cultures want their heritage returned to its place of origin. In this enlightening talk, Museum Curator Chip Colwell offers a surprising solution to this complicated ethical dilemma. Chip Colwell is the Senior Curator of Anthropology at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. He’s published 10 books, most recently Plundered Skulls and Stolen Spirits: Inside the Fight to Reclaim Native America’s Culture. His work has been featured in publications like The New York Times, The Guardian, Salon, and Slate. Chip is the founding Editor-in-Chief of sapiens.org, an online magazine about anthropological discoveries. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community

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1. Culture & Controversy: Should Museums Return Ancient Artifacts?
2. Museums have a dark past, but we can fix that | Chip Colwell | TEDxMileHigh Museums are beloved cultural institutions, with more than 850 million visits each year in the U.S. alone. But behind the scenes, a war is raging - many cultures want their heritage returned to its place of origin. In this enlightening talk, Museum Curator Chip Colwell offers a surprising solution to this complicated ethical dilemma. Chip Colwell is the Senior Curator of Anthropology at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. He’s published 10 books, most recently Plundered Skulls and Stolen Spirits: Inside the Fight to Reclaim Native America’s Culture. His work has been featured in publications like The New York Times, The Guardian, Salon, and Slate. Chip is the founding Editor-in-Chief of sapiens.org, an online magazine about anthropological discoveries. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community
3. The Problem with Museums Are museum collections ethical? How did these institutions end up with their vast array of artifacts and remains from every corner of the globe? Well, chances are there was some definite shadiness involved. Today, Danielle examines this complicated debate and looks closely at the cases of Saartjie Baartman and Chang and Eng Bunker. What do you think? Should objects be repatriated, left on display, or something in between? Special thanks to our Historian Harry Brisson on Patreon! Join him at https://www.patreon.com/originofevery... Created and Hosted by Danielle Bainbridge Produced by Complexly for PBS Digital Studios
4. Will Western museums ever return disputed artefacts?
5. Museum in Progress: Decolonizing Museums | Hannah Mason-Macklin | TEDxKingLincolnBronzeville From museum-insiders to blockbuster films to grassroots activism, many people are questioning the colonial foundation of museums, and what role museums should play in our society today. In this talk, Hannah Mason-Macklin shares a new initiative used to decenter whiteness and western values in a recent exhibition of West African objects from the 19th and 20th centuries. Through honest acknowledge and genuine collaboration, museums can become spaces of healing, connection, and progress. From museum-insiders to blockbuster films to grassroots activism, many people are questioning the colonial foundation of museums, and what role museums should play in our society today. In this talk, Hannah Mason-Macklin shares a new initiative used to decenter whiteness and western values in a recent exhibition of West African objects from the 19th and 20th centuries.