The Benefits and Shortfalls of “Digital Repatriation” Katherine Carlton

To explore the ways in which Native American artifacts can be replicated digitally to inhabit a virtual, shared space that is then utilized by museum professionals and Native community members. How does the use and interpretation of these objects differ when the viewing medium is virtual rather than physical, and what are the implications for control?

What are the benefits of artifact digitization? How is knowledge being shared and communicated virtually, and how is this exchange different than what is done in the physical sphere? In what situations is it more useful or necessary to have access to the physical object instead of the digital replica? Who has access to these artifacts, both physically and virtually? Once the object is digitized, does it remain in the possession of the museum?

Arizona State Museum Virtual Pottery Project Pitt Rivers Museum The Louvre

Improve research Make collection accessible Document collection before it is “lost” Appeal to wider audience Work with communities

Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe Michael Laukinen University of Pennsylvania Timothy Powell White Earth Tribal and Community College Anishinaabe Tribes

“To bring to life, to sanction, to give permission”

Great Lakes Research Alliance for the Study of Aboriginal Arts and Culture “Would it be possible to use information technology to digitally reunite Great Lakes heritage that is currently scattered across museums and archives in North America and Europe with Aboriginal community knowledge, memory and perspectives?” GRASAC Website

What are the benefits and drawbacks of these virtual spaces? Opportunities for education? Knowledge sharing How can Native American community members interact with these digitized objects? How does it differ from physical encounters? Implications for intellectual property? Who is in control?

Research Ojibwe history of basketry Why is it culturally significant? Who is involved? Intellectual property?

Digitizing the Museum of Anthropology’s Great Lakes Basket Collection

Observing the interactions of Native community members with virtual heritage sites and artifact databases GRASAC

Observations at the Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabe Culture and Lifeways

“The permanent, educational, sacred, and ceremonial collections of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe (SCIT), managed by the Ziibiwing Center (ZC) are a bridge through time where the past meets the present” -Ziibiwing Center Website

Compare the ways in which baskets are used and interpreted by Anishinaabe community members on virtual databases versus in the physical space of the Ziibiwing Center; What are the benefits and drawbacks of each medium, how could they compliment each other, and what are the implications for ownership and control?

Baskets are central to Anishinaabe culture Is the physicality important when dealing with these objects? How can digitization be used to highlight cultural importance? How do community members interact with these objects in a virtual space? Who is allowed access? What aspects of the baskets are best shared through interaction with the physical object, rather than the digital?

Addresses the effectiveness of the digital space Physical versus virtual Potential for further collaboration Refining of Projects Questions issues of control and ownership