Haunted Restitutions: Restless Ancestors and the Ghosts of Colonialism in Repatriation Policy

Affiliation

Central Piedmont Community College, Charlotte, North Carolina

Presented at

American Anthropological Association (AAA) Annual Meeting, Session 8688, Sheraton New Orleans, New Orleans, LA

Abstract

This immersive installation explores the haunting presence of unrepatriated ancestors and the systemic colonialism embedded in institutional collection practices. Through mixed-media elements, the work creates an experiential encounter with the spiritual, emotional, and political dimensions of repatriation policy, inviting viewers to confront the ongoing harm of institutional retention of Native American cultural items and human remains. The installation examines repatriation not as a bureaucratic process but as a spiritual and political act of restoration.

Introduction

The metaphor of haunting offers a powerful lens through which to understand the repatriation crisis. Across Native American communities, unrepatriated ancestors are not abstractions or museum specimens—they are relatives whose spirits remain unsettled, whose continued institutional captivity represents an ongoing form of colonial violence. The language of ghosts and haunting captures something that legal and policy frameworks often fail to convey: the profound spiritual and emotional harm caused by the separation of ancestors from their communities and homelands. This installation brings that understanding into physical space, creating an encounter that engages visitors beyond the intellectual and into the embodied and affective.

Research Framework

The installation employs mixed-media elements to create a multi-sensory experience that communicates the complexity of repatriation policy and its human impact. The work draws on extensive research into NAGPRA legislation, institutional collection histories, and published accounts of repatriation experiences from both tribal and institutional perspectives. The design process was informed by principles of respectful representation, ensuring that the installation honors the gravity of its subject matter while creating space for reflection, dialogue, and transformation.

Key Findings

Exhibited in the Grand Ballroom Foyer of the Sheraton New Orleans during the AAA Annual Meeting, the installation engaged conference attendees across disciplinary boundaries, prompting conversations about the intersection of scholarly practice, institutional responsibility, and Indigenous rights. Viewer responses reflected deep engagement with the work's themes, with many noting that the experiential format communicated dimensions of the repatriation issue that traditional academic presentation formats cannot capture. The installation demonstrated the potential of arts-based research methods to contribute meaningfully to policy discourse.

Significance & Implications

This installation contributes to the growing recognition that arts-based and experiential approaches can play a vital role in advancing understanding of complex social and political issues. By creating an embodied encounter with the realities of institutional colonialism and the urgency of repatriation, the work challenges the detachment that can characterize academic engagement with Indigenous rights issues. The installation argues, through experience rather than argument, that repatriation is not merely a matter of legal compliance but a fundamental act of justice, healing, and restoration.

References Cited