American museums hold stolen Native American objects and ancestral remains, which are now being addressed through the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. Recent changes require museums to issue apologies, obtain consent to display cultural items, and reassess collections for repatriation. Federal regulations now mandate informed consent from tribes for scientific research on artifacts, marking a significant shift in museum practices influenced by years of advocacy by Native American tribes.
New federal regulations are forcing museums across the United States to take down, cover up, or close their exhibits. ProPublica reporter Mary Hudetz and curator Catherine Roberts Shteynberg explain why.
This episode was produced by Laura Bullard and Hady Mawajdeh. It was edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard and Kim Eggleston, engineered by David Herman, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram.
Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained
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