repatriation of human remains - Maori 20 year request for ancestors' heads at European museums finally is granted

Trapped in Museums for Centuries, Maori Ancestors Are Coming Home

[concluding paragraph]

Once the ancestors are returned to Te Papa, the museum will only serve as a temporary sanctuary before further research identifies their descendants or place of origin for return. According to them, museums have no right to categorize and keep human beings. "Museums are in the business of objects and telling stories of objects that originate from communities," says Mamaku, who is confident that it's only a matter of time before the attitude of all museums shifts. This year, the program was surprised by a European institution's acceptance of a claim, filed 20 years ago. "We never thought it would ever be approved," he says. "There'll be a point in time when particular institutions are left being the lone voices among the chorus of singing songs, rejoicing, and unity. Eventually, those dissenting voices will see that there isn't anything wrong with [acknowledging] these ancestors not as objects, but as people."

full article, https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/new-zealand-toi-moko-repatriation [January 26, 2021]