Cultural Heritage in Museum Collections: Repatriation, Restitution, and Ethical Stewardship

Ethical stewardship is a core obligation for museums that acquire and display cultural heritage, and it can sometimes involve actions that challenge established standards and best practices. Whether repatriating cultural items to source communities, returning looted artworks to heirs of original owners, or developing policies that support ceremonial offerings in collections storage, ethical stewardship allows museums to confront difficult histories, address historical injustices, and imagine new models for shared care of collections. This course explores the principles, responsibilities, and practices of ethical stewardship, with a focus on repatriation and restitution. Topics include the historical context of museum collecting; the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and domestic repatriation within the United States; Nazi-era looting and restitution; international repatriation; and ethical stewardship beyond returns, including collaborative collections care, interpretation, and exhibition curation. Through lectures, discussions, and case studies, students analyze the legal and ethical dimensions of repatriation and restitution, examine the diverse perspectives involved in collaborative care, and reflect on the challenges and possibilities that ethical stewardship presents for contemporary museum practice.