Exhibiting Respect: Investigating Ethical Practice for the Display of Human Remains in Museums by Lia Tarle MA, Simon Fraser University, 2013 BA (Honours with Distinction), University of Victoria, 2009 Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Archaeology Faculty of Environment © Lia Tarle 2020 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Fall 2020 Copyright in this work rests with the author. Please ensure that any reproduction or re-use is done in accordance with the relevant national copyright legislation. Declaration of Committee Name: Lia Tarle Degree: Doctor of Philosophy Thesis title: Exhibiting Respect: Investigating Ethical Practice for the Display of Human Remains in Museums Committee: Chair: Dana Lepofsky Professor, Archaeology George Nicholas Supervisor Professor, Archaeology Hugo Cardoso Committee Member Associate Professor, Archaeology Barbara Winter Examiner Director Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology Jack Lohman External Examiner Chief Executive Officer Royal BC Museum ii Ethics Statement iii Abstract Museums have long displayed human remains from archaeological and other contexts to educate the public about human health, spiritual beliefs, and customs, and to encourage reflection about death and dying. However, since the 1950s, repatriation movements and decolonizing dialogues have inspired global discussions about who has the right to retain and display human remains. Subsequent changes in attitude are now reflected in international ethical guidelines and accords that emphasize “respect” for human remains and for originating communities. Most museums will no longer display Indigenous Ancestors, but whether and how to display other human remains presents an unresolved ethical dilemma. Should other archaeological human remains be exhibited without consent? If so, how can they be displayed respectfully? Do visitors wish to see human remains in museums? This dissertation is a pilot study that examined three dimensions of these ethical challenges: 1) how has the display of human remains changed over time—particularly in Anglo-North America and Western Europe?; 2) how does the public in North America feel about the display of human remains?; and 3) how can human remains be displayed “with respect”? I focused on Anglo-North America and Western Europe as instrumental case studies to illuminate these emerging issues due to their accessibility, recent ethical dialogue, and changing museum practices in these regions. My research explored these questions using the principles of New Museology and radical transparency: i.e., proactively engaging the public and encouraging them to participate in ethical decision-making. In this work, I: 1) explore ethical changes and challenges for museums in relation to the display of human remains; 2) facilitate public engagement with ethical discourse about the display of human remains; 3) explore the concept of “respectful display” of human remains; and 4) make recommendations for museum professionals deciding whether to display of human remains. These issues are particularly important as museums strive to decolonize and become more inclusive. Keywords: Ethics; museums; human remains; archaeology; display; exhibition iv Dedication I dedicate this work to my parents: Nancy and Terry Tarle, and to my brother Josh—who have always been my biggest cheerleaders and support system in everything I do. Thank you. v Acknowledgements I first must thank my committee. I am forever grateful to Dr. George Nicholas for agreeing to supervise my Ph.D. His thoughtful mentorship improved the quality of my work and built my confidence as an independent researcher. I appreciate his academic support and advice, the research and work opportunities he provided me, his tireless dedication to his students, moral support, reminders to relax and take time off, and humorous emails. I am also grateful to Dr. Hugo Cardoso for his commitment to sound scientific research and for reminding me to consider my cultural perspective. My dissertation is stronger because of his feedback, and I enjoyed working with him. I am immensely thankful to my internal examiner and museum mentor Dr. Barbara Winter. She has been my biggest advocate in the museum world, and I greatly appreciate her advice and guidance, as well as the opportunities she has given me to build my skill set and network. She is an irreplaceable force to be reckoned with. I also thank my external examiner, Prof. Jack Lohman, whose work inspired me to pursue this research. I thoroughly enjoyed discussing these complex issues with him, and am grateful for his thoughtful feedback. My hosts Drs. Gwyneira Isaac and Sue Giles at the Smithonian’s National Museum of Natural History and Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, respectively, made this work possible. I am grateful for their encouragement, time, and efforts to facilitate my research. For their insights and other support, I thank Drs. Neil Curtis, Robert Ehrenreich, David Hurst Thomas, Chip Colwell, Patricia Alonso, Laura Peers, Eeva-Kristiina Harlin, Douglas Ubelaker, Cressida Fforde, Silvério Figueiredo, Sarah Carr-Locke, Marta Lourenço, Susana Garcia, Susan Rowley, David A. Morrison, Maria Ordoñez Alvarez, and Campbell Price, as well as Hedley Swain, Katharina Hersel, Janet MacDonald, Erika Stenson, Laura Phillips, and Ian Bercovitz. I also appreciate the dedicated work of the Archaeology Department staff throughout my Ph.D. For their encouragement, moral support, shared laughs and tears, I thank my friends for life: my Ph.D. O.G. Ladies and Sandwiches: Antonia Rodrigues, Chelsea Meloche, Megan Wong, and Drs. Erin Hogg, Laure Spake, Sara Rhodes, and Beth Velliky. I couldn’t ask for better Ph.D. comrades. vi I am immensely grateful for the funding I received from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (Award # 755-2011-0406), Intellectual Property Issues in Cultural Heritage project, The Simons Foundation, the Smithsonian Institution, the Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, and the Alexia Sepideh Kiaii Endowment Fund. vii Table of Contents Declaration of Committee .................................................................................................. ii Ethics Statement ............................................................................................................... iii Abstract ............................................................................................................................ iv Dedication ......................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................... vi Table of Contents ............................................................................................................ viii List of Tables .................................................................................................................... xi List of Figures................................................................................................................... xii List of Acronyms .............................................................................................................. xiv Glossary .......................................................................................................................... xv A Note Regarding Images of Human Remains ............................................................... xvi Chapter 1. Introduction ................................................................................................ 1 Research Questions & Objectives .................................................................................... 3 Theoretical Framework ..................................................................................................... 4 Methods ............................................................................................................................ 5 Data Collection .............................................................................................................. 6 Question 1. How Has the Display of Human Remains Changed Over Time in Anglo- North America and Western Europe? ........................................................................ 7 Question 2. How Does the North American Public Feel about the Display of Uncontested Human Remains? ................................................................................. 8 Question 3. How Can Uncontested Human Remains Be Displayed with Respect? .. 9 Additional Data Collection ........................................................................................ 10 Analysis ....................................................................................................................... 10 Question 1. How Has the Display of Human Remains Changed Over Time? ......... 10 Question 2. How Does the North American Public Feel about the Display of Uncontested Human Remains? ............................................................................... 11 Question 3. How Can Uncontested Human Remains Be Displayed with Respect? 11 Subjective Variables ................................................................................................ 11 Dissertation Structure ...................................................................................................... 12 Chapter 2. Changes in the Display of Human Remains Over Time ....................... 14 Historical