Newly it was mentioned in the newspapers that Peru wants to get back a collection of objects from the Inca town Machu Pichu from Yale university in the US. A collection of about 40 000 objects! There is a dialogue going on on this matter. See Svenska Dagbladet (swedish)http://www.svd.se/kulturnoje/nyheter/artikel_1131155.svd
More and more, countries and peoples want to have back what western nations took from them without asking (that is what we in every day life call for stealing, but we realize that researchers then did not see it that way). And all dialogue and cooperation to settle those kind of matters are to be welcomed.
So the Sámi are not alone, when they want sámi treasures to be returned to the Sámi land. Much is in important museums in Stockholm or other countries. For example, most of the 72 surviving sámi drums are far away from Sápmi. But some things have been returned.
We need a dialogue. It is important that archaeological and cultural materials, as well as the much debated human remains, are the property of the people it came from in the first place. But of course, it is also important that people in other places can be able to see something of other cultures. I am sure that is possible. By travelling exhibitions, long term loans and why not by having institutions own some of the cultural objects - if they are rightfully given or purchased from the owners, not just taken from them.
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