Ethics, Laws and Sacred Objects
What are ethics to you? What does it
mean to be ethical?
 “Ethics are based on experience and concern the
distinction between right and wrong, and how that
distinction is applied to language, behavior and thought.
Ethical codes evolve in response to changing conditions,
values and ideas. That is why professional codes are
reviewed and revised periodically”
 Simmons, Page 147.
 To be ethical means to do the right thing, which means
following laws and current codes.
How do ethics apply to the museum
world?
 Ethics are the backbone of a museum’s collection
management policy
 Ethics require the museum to do more than only following
current laws
 Museums need to also be concerned with the appearance
of wrong doing
 Transparency and Accountability
 All objects have been ethically obtained
What are the three types of ethical
codes related to museums?
 Professional Codes
 Specific Profession Codes
 Institutional Codes
What are some laws or codes that
address the acquisition of objects?
 National Museum of the American Indian Act (NMAI)
 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act
(NAGPRA)
 American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and Association of
Art Museum Directors (AAMD)
 2008 Guidelines
How can a museum ensure its staff,
volunteers, and board members act
ethically?
 Conflicts of Interest
 Must put organization’s interests above their own personal interests
 Personal Collecting
 May be prohibited from collecting objects related to their
organization’s scope of interest
 If not, may have to submit inventories of personal collection
 Use of Personal Collection
 Museum needs to have clear policies on the use of personal
collections within the museum
 Cannot store personal collections
Acting Ethically
 Deaccessioned Collections
 Cannot acquire deaccessioned objects, unless they participate in a
public auction
 Appraisals and Authentication
 Cannot be conducted by members of the museum
 Personal Activities:
 If working outside museum, staff should conduct themselves to
respect positively on the museum and the museum profession.
 Should also identify themselves as working apart from the museum
What are a museum registrar’s
responsibilities?
 Overseeing all management and care processes,
acquisitions and deaccessions
 Ensuring acquisitions have followed ethical standards
and procedures
 Both law and codes by overarching authorities
 Addressing questionable situations
Why is it important for a museum to
have good relationships with
traditional communities?
 Ensures community’s objects are properly cared for
 Preservation and meaning of object
 Staff can better understand and appreciate object
 A respectful and knowledgeable interpretation
 Encourages public trust
Who should a museum turn to decide
if an object is sacred?
 Turn to representatives of the group or community
 If not available, a legitimate and respected authority
 Should not take it upon themselves to decide
When a museum has sacred objects,
what are considerations that ensure
their meaning is respected?
 Consultation
 Initiate contact to consult with the group on objects under
the care of the museum
 Access
 Limiting object information and access to protect the
objects sacredness
 Care Protocols
 Any specific care considerations to maintain the object in its
current form
 Repatriation
 Reviewing, and sometimes honoring, requests for the return
of the object
Test your Knowledge!
 Scenario 1:
 An intern is going through object records and finds documents
from a donor saying that an object was acquired at a
reservation. The intern points this out to the registrar, who is
suspicious that the object might have sacred value to Native
American people. As the registrar, what are the next steps you
would take to address this concern?
 Conduct research on donor, object and Native American
group
 Contact a representative of, or a legitimate source on, the
group in question to decide whether object is sacred
 If found to be sacred: consult, access, care, repatriation
Test your Knowledge!
 Scenario 2:
 When looking at object records, you notice the provenance
of a piece is not well established, and the description of the
object reminds you of one of a reportedly stolen item. What
would you do in this situation?