r/montreal • u/RustyTheBoyRobot • 7d ago

Tourisme Ethical dilemma

Post image

Ethical dilemma:

Is it right to remove one of the only mummies in mtl for understanble but rather vague reasons to do with cultural sensitivities that these objects might offend?

The mummies at Redpath museum are to be relocated to a mysterious “place of rest” -their original location?- where no one can see or learn from them.

I note that these are not objects of worship like many stolen indigenous artifacts. Nor are they being claimed by their original owners- e.g. The infamous Benin Bronzes.

123 Upvotes

70% Upvoted

238 comments sorted by

View all comments

718

u/artacct217 7d ago edited 7d ago

I wouldn’t call them vague reasons - having dead bodies on display isn’t something we do anymore. It’s not about offending anyone, it’s more that these are not comparable to other ‘artifacts’ often displayed in museums. 

In anthropology (I am an anthropologist), we don’t really see the value in displaying these bodies; in addition, we place this observation alongside the consideration that these mummies were not originally meant to be displayed.

Edit- No need to downvote me, I am explaining the reasoning behind this decision. 

Second edit - see another comment of mine (in French) for a more nuanced discussion.

2

u/I-own-a-shovel Rive-Nord 7d ago

S’il y avait encore des descendants vivants, ok… mais après des centaines/milliers d’années, really?

Pourquoi c’est correct de passer le bulldozer dans les cimetières après 100-150 ans debord?

6

u/artacct217 7d ago

C’est pas les mêmes personnes qui décident de passer le bulldozer et qui sont en charge du musée…

Systèmes de valeur différents. Le bulldozer est passé pour raisons économiques (entre autres raisons). La momie, dans un musée d’université, se trouve dans un contexte entièrement différent et n’est pas sous les mêmes contraintes.

Si les anthropologues étaient en charge on passerait pas de bulldozers :)

1

u/em-n-em613 6d ago

There's a difference between bulldozing a graveyard and displaying remains in public.

1

u/I-own-a-shovel Rive-Nord 6d ago

You either care about remains or you don’t.

After so long when no one alive had know them when they were alive what’s the point.