Disputes over Ancestors: Between Atacameño Discourse and Authorized Heritage

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Politics of Heritage Values: How Archaeologists Deal with Place, Social Memories, Identities, and Socioeconomics" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Since the nineteenth century, the inhabitants of the Atacama Desert have coexisted with collecting, heritage, and museum practices. Since the late twentieth century, Atacama communities have confronted archaeology and museums over the significance, ownership, and rights over the bodies of their ancestors that were taken to national and international museums. The Indigenous demands for a respectful treatment of human bodies in Chile show the need for a repatriation law and professional codes of ethics that integrate these populations. Likewise, conflicts over ancestors have reaffirmed differences between local knowledge and constructions and the authorized heritage discourse. We will present the progress of a research project focused on collecting, patrimonialization, and repatriation in the Atacameño territory.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)   •
• Politics of Heritage Values: How Archaeologists Deal with Place, Social Memories, Identities, and Socioeconomics

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38532.0