Additional Information

Available Through

JSTOR

Language

English

Notes

This article details obstacles to deterrence of the global trade in non-Western cultural properties and examines the ethics of Western collecting and curating of such property. We focus on the theft and global marketing of memorial statues (vigango) erected by the Mijikenda peoples of East Africa, relating an unusually well-documented case study, tracing two statues from their theft to their appearance in U.S. museums. We describe the large-scale extraction of such statues from Kenya and its impact on the Mijikenda, their quantity and distribution in U.S. museums, and local deterrence efforts. We call for greater activism by Western museum staffs, anthropologists, and other scholars to curb the trade in non-Western cultural properties. We recommend (1) tightening legal loopholes, (2) strengthening observance of international agreements and the U.S. and international museums' codes of ethics, (3) stepping up field efforts to deter theft, and (4) educating the public about this growing trade.

Additional tags: East Africa; Mijikenda peoples; international trade in African cultural property; museum ethics

Taxonomies

RPA Codes & Standards

• Appropriate Dissemination of Research
• Archaeologist's Responsibility to Colleagues, Employees, and Students
• Archaeologist's Responsibility to Employers and Clients
• Archaeologist's Responsibility to the Public
• Integrity of Research Methodology
• Specimen and Research Record Storage

CIfA Codes

• Principle 1: Adherence to ethical and responsible behaviour in archaeological affairs
• Principle 2: Responsibility for the conservation of the historic environment
• Principle 5: Recognition of aspirations of employees, colleagues and helpers in all matters of employment

Keywords & Terms

• Accountability
• Anti-Commercialization
• Avoid, Discourage, and Report Unethical and Illegal Activity
• Culturally Significant and/or Sacred Sites, Objects, and Places
• Impact on Communities - Local, Descendant, etc.
• Looting, Collecting, and Illicit Trade of Cultural Property
• Museum, Collection, Curation and Display Standards
• Public Interest, Collaboration, Education, and Outreach
• Respect for and Responsibility to Affected Groups
• Standards of Data Collection, Recordation, Analysis

Topics & Issues

• Antiquities Trade
• Archaeological Advocacy and Activism
• Archaeological Societies and Codes of Ethics
• Colonialism and Imperialism
• Destruction of Cultural Heritage
• Ethical Case Studies
• Ethics of Collecting
• Legal Issues
• Legislation and Archaeological Preservation
• Museum and Display Ethics
• Public Engagement, Outreach, and Education