Post by Gerard Willemsen on Mar 28, 2007 9:44:04 GMT 1
Recently, the Sámi Parliament in Sweden has demanded an inventarisation and identification of all Sámi bone materials in institutions. Much of this was gathered when the pseudo-scientific racial biology was popular. The Institute of Racial Biology which (I repeat) did racism under a science-like cover, was closed less than 4 decades ago! For racial investigations, people needed bones, mostly skulls, and they were provided. Many times stolen from the graves, with the help of church personell. Also, living Sámi were measured and photographed in a humiliating way.
The demand today is of course right. The Sami parliament wants the bone materials to be reburied. The Church of Sweden is willing to cooperate. But some scientists and ´responsible persons for collections are reluctant. Even if they condemn the way the material was gathered, they say that it is important to keep it in their custody. It might be of use for science in the future. Also, it might be of use for those investigating the racial biology period in Sweden.
The arguments are valid. I have been working in paleontology many years of my life, also in cooperation with archaeologists. I know how important abundant skeletal materials can be for serious research, which has nothing to do with racial biology. But the ethical aspects must prevail.
If authorities give the Sámi what they want, and rebury the material, they say: We did wrong when we stole those bones. We cannot make it undone, but we repent and we try to settle the question as you feel is best.
If the scientific value prevails, society says: The way may have been wrong, but we still find it good to have those materials. We deny you as a people the right to get back even the dead bodies we stole from you.
It will make reconciliation much more difficult, and it will signal a colonisation attitude.
I support the Sámi Parliament in their demand. I call upon the churches to do so as well. Without denying possible scientific value, giving those remains back to the Sámi and to the individuals families if possible, is the only right thing to do.
The demand today is of course right. The Sami parliament wants the bone materials to be reburied. The Church of Sweden is willing to cooperate. But some scientists and ´responsible persons for collections are reluctant. Even if they condemn the way the material was gathered, they say that it is important to keep it in their custody. It might be of use for science in the future. Also, it might be of use for those investigating the racial biology period in Sweden.
The arguments are valid. I have been working in paleontology many years of my life, also in cooperation with archaeologists. I know how important abundant skeletal materials can be for serious research, which has nothing to do with racial biology. But the ethical aspects must prevail.
If authorities give the Sámi what they want, and rebury the material, they say: We did wrong when we stole those bones. We cannot make it undone, but we repent and we try to settle the question as you feel is best.
If the scientific value prevails, society says: The way may have been wrong, but we still find it good to have those materials. We deny you as a people the right to get back even the dead bodies we stole from you.
It will make reconciliation much more difficult, and it will signal a colonisation attitude.
I support the Sámi Parliament in their demand. I call upon the churches to do so as well. Without denying possible scientific value, giving those remains back to the Sámi and to the individuals families if possible, is the only right thing to do.