Argentina museum displays Incan mummy
By FEDERICO ESCHER, Associated Press Writer
"Several Indian groups waged a losing campaign to prevent the remains from going on display, arguing that the mummies should be buried or at least kept from public view.
The exhibit is a "great mistake," said Miguel Suarez, a representative of the Calchaquies valley tribes in and around Salta."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/argentina_mummy
I am left balking at that tiny little detail that the tribes are so blatantly disrespected when they say not to display these children.
Is it OK to dishonor these corpses and their history by putting them on display?
At what point does my curiosity cancel out your right to your ancestor's remains?
Do your ancestors magically stop being related to you because a century has passed?
As a US citizen, if my remains are found out there someplace in the US then wouldn't the laws of my land dictate what happens to me? Shouldn't the tribes that these children belong to be able to do the same?
Because a "scientist" decides to throw all ethics and social responsibility out the window to do his/her work and get his/her funding, does that mean we have to do the same? Where's the stop-gap on that??
It's really about objectification. And it seems that if a "scientist" with "Doctor" someplace in their title says it's OK, then internationally judges and the general public just say, "OK" too.
As a human being, this disgusts me.
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I completely agree with you...these tribes should have the right to decide what gets done with the remains...I know that if I was a member of the tribe I would feel disrespected and like my culture is obsolete because no one cares about the laws of the tribe...no one should have the right to do that without proper permission
I think it's odd that our cultural thought about mummies and our cultural thought about dead loved ones don't match up at all. If someone suggested putting a five year old corpse on display without the consent of the family, the public wouldn't have it.
You make a good point about the five year old corpse not going over well with the public. Heh heh!
that's true...but I think they should line up...I wish they would..I think the dead should be respected no matter how old they are