Birmingham Council OKs Law To Allow Museum To Return Native American Art
The Birmingham Museum of Art will soon return several works of art to two Native American tribes that have requested them back. An ordinance passed Tuesday by the Birmingham City Council has cleared the way for the return of several items to the Tlingit and Haida tribes of Alaska.
The BMA “no longer [has] a moral, ethical or legal claim under federal law” to those works, Director Graham C. Boettcher told the council, referencing the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act passed by Congress in 1990. That act requires institutions that receive federal funding to return Native American cultural items to their respective tribes.
The ordinance updates a city law originally enacted in 1983 — before NAGPRA — that “does not include specific language that permits us to return culturally sensitive works” to which the museum no longer has rightful claim.
The Tlingit and Haida tribes initially had requested the return of their items in 2017.
“We did all the due diligence working with tribal authorities as well as other experts in the field and determined them to be claims with merit,” Boettcher said.
The BMA lists several Tlingit items as part of its collection — including several spoons, baskets and bentwood boxes — almost all of which were purchased by the museum in 1956. The museum also lists three works by Haida artists, including two Freida Deising screenprints and a Reg Davidson totem pole, all of which were acquired by the museum in 1994.
Though this change in the city ordinance was precipitated by the Alaskan tribes’ claims, it also will prepare the museum for future claims, Boettcher said, “not only from Native American tribes but also looking at our global collections where something may not have entered the United States lawfully — from Asia, for example. So, we want to be able to operate ethically and in accordance with all laws.”
The ordinance passed Tuesday also updates the museum’s ability to deal with “abandoned property” — unreturnable borrowed items taking up space in museum storage.
“This is when someone has lent us something years ago, we’ve made every effort to return that work to the lawful owner, but we’ve been unsuccessful — despite extraordinary measures in some cases,” Boettcher said.
The updated ordinance will allow the museum to either add such abandoned property to its permanent collection or sell it, depending on its desirability for the museum.
What to know about Jeff Bezos’ upcoming Venice wedding — and the protests against it
Bezos will soon marry Lauren Sánchez in Venice. Protesters say the city, already grappling with overtourism, is putting the wedding over their needs — which city officials and wedding organizers deny.
Emmy nominations voting ends tonight. Here’s what our critic hopes will make the cut
Emmy voters have until tonight to send in their picks for nominees. Here's what NPR TV critic Eric Deggans thinks they should be voting for.
Iran attacks a U.S. base in Qatar
A U.S. defense official confirmed that the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar "was attacked by short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles originating from Iran" and said there were no casualties.
‘Endling’ is a shape-shifting debut that takes on heavy themes with humor
Maria Reva's virtuosic novel starts out as a straightforward story about a Ukrainian biologist, but morphs into a comic take on war, the mail-order bride business and the plight of snails.
Home sales just posted their slowest May in 16 years
There are 20% more homes for sale this May — but it hasn't been enough to pull buyers off the sidelines amid high mortgage rates and economic uncertainty.
Climate change is boosting the risk of sleep apnea
Hotter temperatures make breathing problems during sleep more likely, even when it's not extremely hot
