Repatriation in Two Acts: The Museum of Vancouver

Abstract

This paper examines the repatriation practices of the Museum of Vancouver from the vantage point of a board member, arguing that this has occured in phases. A second phase has been complicated by the introduction of the concept of museums as holders of world patrimony and this is contrasted with a different stance, informed by an ethical relationships with Indigenous peoples. Museums are described as complicit in the period of colonization and specific examples of repatriation are provided.