Repatriation working group seeks views of Scottish sector

A new working group is seeking feedback from the Scottish sector as it develops guidance to support museums and galleries in their repatriation work.

The group was set up by Museums Galleries Scotland after the Scottish Government accepted the recommendations of the Empire, Slavery & Scotland’s Museums Steering Group earlier this year, one of which was the creation of guidance on repatriation.

Group convenor Neil Curtis, the head of museums and special collections at the University of Aberdeen, said in a recent blog that repatriation is “a topic that has become of much greater public interest”.

He said: “Almost two-thirds of the people surveyed as part of the Empire, Slavery and Scotland’s Museums project felt that it was important that museums should return looted and stolen objects.

“Sadly, it is also an issue that a few people have noisily used as part of a ‘culture war’ that (sometimes intentionally) misunderstands the importance of repatriation to the people having their ancestors and items returned.”

Curtis said that repatriation can still seem daunting for museums approaching it for the first time.

“How should a museum respond to a proposal?” he said. “What does the museum need to know? How can a museum make a decision that is fair and respectful to everyone concerned? What are the legal and logistical practicalities that need to be considered? What should a museum do if it wants to make a return but doesn’t know who to talk to?

“We must also remember that for the people making a request, it will probably also be daunting, confusing and expensive, with museums having different approaches and working in different languages. 

“Answers to these, and many more detailed questions, will be important. However, the most important thing is to make sure that the first step in any discussion is based on a welcoming conversation, and a willingness to ‘do the right thing’, rather than feeling a need to follow rigid rules.”

The repatriation working group is planning an online resource to highlight the key factors to be considered, including case studies and links to existing guidance, “rather than writing a detailed and comprehensive document to cover all eventualities”, Curtis said.

“It will also be important to keep a record of all cases – not least as a way of enabling people with experience to share the knowledge they have gained with other museums," he said.

“The working group is keen to hear from anyone working in museums with thoughts about what guidance would be most helpful. This is an important task that involves so many people.”

The Museums Association (MA) has welcomed the development. MA policy and campaigns officer, India Divers, said: “We are pleased to see Museums Galleries Scotland take forward the recommendations from the Empire, Slavery & Scotland’s Museums Steering Group.

“There are few legal obstacles to repatriation and restitution for most museums. Good procedures are vital in ensuring that items are properly considered and returned to the appropriate person or group. The guidance produced by the repatriation working group will support museums in Scotland of all types and sizes to be proactive in doing repatriation work.”

Those who wish to share their views are invited to email the working group at essm@museumsgalleriesscotland.org.uk.