Restitution Policies in Argentina: The Role of The State, Indigenous Peoples, Museums, and Researchers

ENDERE. MARÍA LUZ

The Routledge Companion to indigenous repatriation. Return, Reconcile, Renew.

Routledge

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2020; p. 188 - 207

The reburial issue evolved in a very particular and comprehensive way in Argentina, being, in many aspects, different from the situation in other Latin American countries. This is, in part, due to the existence of a large collection of human remains held in museums as a consequence of the ?Conquest of the Desert? (see below) carried out at the end of the nineteenth century. Ancient bones preserved due to weather conditions have also contributed to the formation of important collections for scientific research. The claims for restitution first focused on the remains of famous nineteenth century caciques (chiefs). After two decades of obtaining the first restitution, many changes have occurred in the law, as well as museum policies and deontological codes for researchers and curators. As a result, human remains have been returned, not only to local Indigenous communities, but also to foreign Indigenous peoples, such as those in the Canary Islands, New Zealand, and Paraguay. The aim of this chapter is to analyse this process and discuss current debate concerning new contested issues that involve museums, researchers, Indigenous peoples, and relevant authorities.