Navigating Shifting Sands

Abstract

In the decades that followed South Africa’s transition from apartheid to democratic rule, museums and universities adopted a major ethical shift toward rehumanizing and returning illicitly obtained ancestral human skeletal remains to local communities. Although much work on repatriation, reburial, and restitution processes has been conducted since, it has been without adequate government legislative and procedural grounding and support, often resulting in circular discussions and limited or disappointing outcomes. In the midst of growing activism related to the repatriation of objects and ancestral remains from Africa held in institutions globally, these efforts have become a societal and national priority and many museum and university collections and repositories are calling for action. The implementation of defined national processes coupled with sound guiding principles, as well as adequate community and stakeholder engagement for any repatriation and restitution event can mitigate potential breakdowns and lead to successful and amiable results. The authors of this chapter provide a set of guiding principles for restitution processes based on their experience in the hope that this initiates discussion so that these can be transferred to similar political and social contexts globally.