Preserving what is Valued: Museums, Conservation, and First Nations

319 Pages·2002·2.74 MB·English

by  Miriam Clavir, University of British Columbia. Museum of Anthropology

Preserving What Is Valued
Waxemedlagin xusbandayu’ (Even though I am the last one, I still count),
by Marianne Nicolson. See Note about the Cover, p. xi.
Miriam Clavir
Preserving What Is Valued
Museums, Conservation,
and First Nations
A UBC Museum of Anthropology
Research Publication
© UBC Press 2002
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in
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This book is printed in Canada on acid-free paper that is 100% ancient-forest
free (100% post-consumer recycled), processed chlorine free, and printed with
vegetable-based, low-VOC inks.
National Library of Canada Cataloguing in Publication Data
Clavir, Miriam, 1948-
Preserving what is valued
(UBC Museum of Anthropology research publication)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-7748-0860-8 (bound); 0-7748-0861-6 (pbk.)
1. Indians of North America – British Columbia – Antiquities – Collection
and preservation. 2. Cultural property – Conservation and restauration.
3. Anthropological museums and collections. 4. Museums – Social aspects.
5. Museum conservation methods. I. Title.
E78.B9C49 2002 06'.089’970074 C2001-911420-6
This book has been published with the help of a grant from the Humanities and
Social Sciences Federation of Canada, using funds provided by the Social Sciences
and Humanities Research Council of Canada, and the help of the Museum of
Anthropology.
UBC Press acknowledges the financial support of the Government of Canada
through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP) for our
publishing activities.
We also gratefully acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts
for our publishing program, as well as the support of the British Columbia Arts
Council.
UBC Press
The University of British Columbia
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For John Donlan, who wrote:
Some currents of our inner ocean
Follow the first hand that set them moving.
(“Wear,” in Green Man)

Contents
Illustrations, Figures, and Tables / ix
Note about the Cover / xi
Preface / xiii
Acknowledgments / xv
Introduction / xvii
Part 1: Preservation and Museums
1 The Historical Development of Conservation and Its Values / 3
2 Conservation Values and Ethics / 26
Part 2: Preservation and First Nations
3 First Nations Perspectives on Preservation and Museums / 69
4 First Nations of British Columbia / 98
5 First Nations, Preservation, and Conservation: Personal Perspectives / 114
6 New Zealand: A Comparative Study / 217
7 “For What We Do” / 245
Appendices
A List of Participants / 251
B Conservation Codes of Ethics / 253
C Glossary of Maori Terms / 263
Internet Resources / 265
Bibliography / 271
Index / 287

Illustrations, Figures, and Tables
Illustrations
The City by Fernand Léger, 1919 / 19
Map showing First Nations of British Columbia / 101
Alfred J. Scow / 106
Dena Klashinsky / 108
Pam Brown with nieces Janelle Brown-Walkus and Faren
Brown-Walkus / 111
Gloria Cranmer Webster and her late mother, Agnes Cranmer / 118
Juanita Pasco / 120
Don Bain / 122
Agnes Cranmer / 128
Peggy Svanvik / 129
John Moses / 136
Doug Cranmer / 141
Gloria Cranmer Webster/ 141
Gloria Cranmer Webster reviews the Kwak’wala alphabet with Alert Bay
school children / 142
Gloria Cranmer Webster and Andrea Laforet unpacking the repatriated
collection at U’mista, 1980 / 144
Community members view the repatriated collection, U’mista Cultural
Centre, 1980 / 143
Debra Sparrow / 155
Doug Cranmer / 166
Ken B. Harris / 168
Val Thorp / 186
Participants at a National Preservation Office/National Services
preservation workshop (Huria marae) / 225
Participants at a National Preservation Office/National Services
preservation workshop (Papakai marae) / 228
x Illustrations, Figures, and Tables
Figures
1 Attributes of collections and objects: The iceberg analogy / 115
2 Perspectives on preservation: “Visible” and “invisible” attributes / 116
3 Material culture/collections: Different worlds, different boundaries / 117
4 Parallel paths: “For what we do, for who we are” / 133
5 Parallel paths: Finding common ground / 210
Tables
1 “Preservation”: Museum and First Nations perspectives / 76
2 The traditional museum and the NMAI / 77
3 Beliefs and values, museums and First Nations / 78
4 Preservation of material culture / 134
5 Museum conservation and First Nations perspectives on use / 148
6 Museum and First Nations perspectives / 213
7 Conservation and First Nations perspectives / 214
8 Conservation and cultural centres / 215
9 Continuing and future role for museums, as seen by First Nations
participants / 216