book chapter
Physical and figurative repatriation: case studies of the Nuxalk Echo mask and the Nuxalk Sun mask
Switchbacks : art, ownership, and Nuxalk national identity, by Jennifer Kramer • Vancouver • Published In 2006 • Pages: 87-103
By: Kramer, Jennifer.
AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
In this article Kramer looks ...'closely at two old Nuxalk dance masks, one an Echo mask and the other a Sun mask, in order to explore how ownership is established and sustained in relation to the Western art market and the Canadian legal system'. In the first case noted above the author ...'tells a contemporary story about the sale of a Nuxalk Echo mask out of its community of origin and its eventual repatriation. The second case study describes Nuxalk responses to the display of a Nuxalk Sun mask in a museum exhibition'. According to the author the first case represents 'physical repatriation', the second, 'figurative repatriation'. In 'physical repatriation' a cultural object actually returns to its place of origin; while in 'figurative repatriation' ...'a Nuxalk claim of ownership is established by means of feeling connected, taking responsibility for and controlling the use of a cultural object without legally owning it. Thus, the mask is metaphorically returned to its origins even though, physically it remains in a foreign place, far from 'home' (pp. 87-88).
- SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
- Visual arts
- Theoretical orientation in research and its results
- Property
- Cultural identity and pride
- External relations
- Cultural revitalization and ethnogenesis
- Exhibitions
- Ethnosociology
- cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
- Nuxalk
- HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
- 2010
- RegionThe area the document pertains to
- North America
- Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
- Northwest Coast and California
- Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
- book chapter
- Evaluation
- Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
- Ethnologist
- Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
- John Beierle; 2010
- Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
- 1990s
- Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
- 1990-1999
- Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
- Bella Coola River Valley, British Columbia, Canada
- NotesAdditional notes
- Jennifer Kramer
- for bibliographical references see document 10: Kramer
- LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
- 2006445100
- LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
- Bella Coola Indians