NMAI copy 39088016955015 from the library of H. Paul and Jane R. Friesema.
Contents:
Introduction -- Apparent social patterns and the law -- General and federal law -- State law -- Conclusion
Summary:
"Each year the remains of hundreds of American Indians, Native Alaskans, and Native Hawaiians, along with artifacts such as potsherds and arrowheads, are discovered across the United States. As many as 600,000 aboriginal remains are currently held by museums, historical societies, universities, and private collections. To the scientific community they provide vital data for the study of human evolution. To many members of aboriginal communities, however, they are powerful spiritual and political symbols. The controversy over the disposition of aboriginal remains and grave gods lies at the heart of the ethnic conflict between aboriginal populations and European-American society. Disturbed by the looting of graves for artifacts, the maintenance of collections of remains for study and display to the public, and the disruption of ancestral graves in general, aborigines have sought recourse in the courts and the legislature. In "Disputing the Dead," H. Marcus Price, III, explores the social processes at work as parties on both sides of the conflict manoeuver in the legal arena."--Book jacket.
