Two years into unboxing horse remains that had been transported with little care, Chance Ward, a Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe member and Lakota Nation descendant, catalyzed a call to action for museums to adopt more respectful methods in their treatment of animal remains. As a master's student in Museum and Field Studies at CU Boulder, Ward was dismayed to see the remains in disarray, sometimes damaged from transit. The core of the initiative, as Ward and his team advocate, centers on the philosophy of "cultural humility," a practice seeking to incorporate self-reflection, continuous learning, and an acknowledgment of power disparities in engaging with diverse cultures.
The call was reinforced with a published paper this month in the journal Advances in Archaeological Practice, Ward explained, as obtained by CU Boulder Today. He reflected on the growing Native presence within museum fields, underscoring the need for "representation and having control over our own cultures and issues that affect our cultures." Meanwhile, CU museum curator of archaeology William Taylor, highlighting the discussions sparked by the 1990 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), noted the need to pivot from viewing archaeological objects as inanimate to embracing a more active, responsible stewardship.
The urgency of this cultural shift is not confined to just the human artifacts often spotlighted in NAGPRA but also extends to animal relics, which fall outside of the Act's stipulations. Ward's connection to horses through his childhood on the Cheyenne River Reservation and participation in ranch activities adds a layer of personal stake to the mission. The diversity of perspectives across the over 570 federally recognized Tribes in the U.S. necessitates a nuanced approach to such stewardship, all Tribes hold unique views on the living world that demand individualized consideration.
Joining Ward in the conversation, Jimmy Arterberry, a tribal historian for the Comanche Nation, emphasizes the practical steps museums can take now to shift their paradigms around animal remain care. Pointing to the importance of dialogue, both Ward and Arterberry advocate for museums to open channels of communication with Native American groups for consent and guidance on the handling of archaeological collections. This approach was highlighted during a visit of Lakota elders to the CU Boulder campus where, as "Chance Ward with a horse skull at the CU Museum of Natural History" by Samantha Eads, they offered suggestions to the museum, such as keeping animal remains, like bison, together as they might have been in life.
Through such collaborative efforts, museums can integrate community perspectives and honor the histories and values of the cultures they aim to represent, moving beyond the often sterile, detached approach that has historically typified artifact curation. As Ward reminds us, and as reported by CU Boulder Today, "Just being there with them, standing next to them, feeling them physically and spiritually is very powerful." This sentiment underscores the shared journey of understanding and respect that is essential in moving forward.
