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. There are varieties of ways people in our world treat our artefacts, but it
differs from the ways First Nations do.
In our world, people treat their ancestral artefacts as a source of wealth because
they think it would we possible to make profit from these artefacts. Sir Austen Henry
Layard led armies of workers to tunnel into ancient palaces and packed them to Great
Britain because the man wanted ways to make profit. There are also people looking to
purchase these artefacts according to CBC news “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.” As a result of trading and
marketing artefacts, people become curious about the past but usually not caring about
the conditions of the objects which will further result in problems such as how ancestral
Objects or places like Stonehenge damaged or destroyed to build houses. People like
scientist also believe that everything must be for science, regardless of how important it
means to a certain culture so everything must be shown to the world. In our world,
people treat ancestral artefacts with cruelty and disrespect because it benefits people
regardless of how important it means to others.
On the other hand, First Nation people treat their ancestral artefacts in a
complete different way such as preserving and recognising the importance of the
artefacts rather than using them as a tool. First nations always like to preserve and keep
their ancestral artefacts within the group to be properly taken care for, moreover; not
to be seen by the rest of the world as a historical piece, however, a cultural part of the
past and future. An artist and hereditary chief from the Namgis first nation stated “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 items and people don’t really know
that.” He stated It because in their culture people see artefacts as a shared belonging or
identity of a certain group through potlatch. In the First nations, people also see
artefacts as having a spiritual value rather than an object. For instance totem poles
portray family history using crest, designs and symbols owned by each family which
allows other to understand and appreciate the spiritual life of each family. Compared to
our world, the First nations treat their artefacts with great care and responsibility
because every artefacts is significant in its own way.
Regardless of the difference between the First nations and our world, we share
some similarities with them as well in the treatment of ancestral objects. We all treat
people with respect when they die if they are of significance even if they are enemies,
such as Chinchorro mummies as they were painted and respected as powerful
ancestors. Another way of how both people treat ancestral artefacts is how dead are
usually buried with ancestral objects in places such as graveyards. We also have
protection to places that have national historic ancestral artefacts as for example how
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.
With all these similarities, people may think that we treat things with respect, but even
with these similarities, it still greatly differs from how the First Nations treat their
Belongings.
In conclusion, people in our world treat Ancestral objects with cruelty and
disrespect, and the First nations treat them with care and responsibilities. But, we still
share some features that makes us not as cruel as you might think because we all
respect the artefacts but some had to break to rule because of a personal need.