The Venn Diagram
Topic: The similarities and differences in the treatment of historical/ancestral
artefacts of both First Nations people and how the rest of the world treats them
(Other artefacts) and their own
First Nations
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Wishing to
preserve and keep
ancestral artefacts
within the group,
to be properly
cared for, not to be
seen randomly as a
historical piece but
a cultural part,
organic, breathing
piece part of today
and past
“In view of the genocide
that was inflicted upon
us, the cultural genocide
that continues,
sometimes we see these
places (museums) as
trophy halls,” said Beau
Dick, an artist and
hereditary chief from the
Namgis First Nation in
British Columbia.
Dick was among those
who took part in an
impromptu ceremony
outside the Canadian
Museum of History in
Gatineau, Que.,
Monday. The group says
they wanted to let
Canadians and museum
staff know that the items
on display aren’t just
ancient history.
“You go in there and it
appears like something
from yesteryear but our
people are still alive.
We’re still connected to
these emblems and these
Similarities
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Treated with
respect to the dead
if they are of
significance (Their
own dead)(even If
enemies)
Chinchorro
mummies were
painted and
respected as
powerful ancestors
Dead are buried
with ancestral
objects
Some ancestral
objects of the past
are treated with
varying levels of
respect—
Museums,
graveyards
Have protection to
national historical
artefacts/places
President
Theodore
Roosevelt signed
the Antiquities Act
into law in 1906,
establishing the
first general legal
protection of
cultural and
natural resources
in the United
States.
In 1993 a museum
The world (In general)
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Ancestral artefacts
treated as source of
wealth
Sir Austen Henry
Layard (18171894) led armies of
workers to tunnel
into ancient
palaces and packed
them to Great
Britain
“CBC producers are on
the hunt for Canadians
looking to sell their
family heirlooms and
one-of-a-kind collections
to four of the country’s
top art, antique and
memorabilia buyers.”
Curious about past
but usually not
caring about their
impacts on the
condition of objects
Ancestral objects
or places like
Stonehenge
damaged or
destroyed for
current uses, in
1600 and 1700 for
houses
During the 2nd
world war, in
Lascaux caves, 4
boys found cave,
visitors came and
soon cave paintings
were damaged
items and people don’t
really know that.” Dick
said.
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In the Past
artefacts were seen
as a shared
belonging or
identity of the
group—Potlatch
“For descendants
of Anisalaga, this
blanket is a direct
link to their
ancestors,” the
society said on a
Facebook page
dedicated to the
repatriation. “Her
blankets have been
scattered across
the globe, so
bringing this
blanket home is a
way of honouring
Anisalaga and
reaffirming the
connection of
family members to
their ancestors and
history.”
Objects have a
spiritual value as
well
Totem pole—
depicts family
history using crests
and designs owned
by family—
connections
General difference AAAAA
Extreme difference AAAAA
finally agreed to
return the four
Inuit skeletons to
Greenland for
proper burial.
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Believe everything
must be for
science, no matter
how important it is
for culture
everything must be
shown to the world
In 1998, USA,
Native American
“Ancient One” dug
up and kept in
museum, despite
First Nations
protests, judge
rulings ‘bones must
be made available
to science’
prevents the native
Americans from
taking bones back
General similarity AAAAA
Extreme similarity AAAAA
Evidence AAAAA