From Artefacts to Ancestors: Indigenous Artefacts and the Role of Digital Techniques in Repatriation and Reconnection with Indigenous Communities

Abstract

Colonial-era practices have led to the widespread removal and global dispersal of Indigenous artefacts around the world, creating complex challenges for contemporary efforts to reclaim and repatriate cultural heritage. Despite increasing advocacy for the return of these artefacts, repatriation frequently faces legal, logistical, financial, ethical, and preservation challenges that can prolong the process or, in some cases, make it entirely unfeasible. This study explores the potential of digital techniques to facilitate and enhance the repatriation process or to serve as an alternative for reconnecting the artefact with the community when physical repatriation is not possible. It explores how digital tools can bridge the gap between Indigenous communities and museums by analysing three case studies from North America: two successful repatriations in which the originals were returned to the community with the help of digital techniques, and one proposed case study where the original cannot be returned but would benefit from digital techniques. The findings reveal that digital solutions developed in collaboration with Indigenous communities and based on ethical practices can significantly support repatriation. These tools open up new ways for museums and Indigenous communities to engage with and preserve cultural heritage, foster cross-cultural dialogue and relationships, and provide alternative access and reconnection to cultural heritage. Moreover, Indigenous communities benefit from this approach not only by preserving their culture but also by offering educational opportunities within their communities and for non-Indigenous people. Digital techniques help museums attract visitors and educate the wider public. They enable museums to preserve, document, and exhibit cultural heritage while more effectively meeting ethical obligations by respecting the intellectual property rights and culture of Indigenous Peoples. This thesis illustrates the importance of integrating digital tools into repatriation strategies and advocates their wider use as an essential, complementary component of contemporary repatriation efforts. The findings suggest that, with appropriate cultural sensitivity, digital techniques can yield significant benefits by fostering new solutions and increasing the success rate of repatriation initiatives, thereby enriching museum practices and the revitalisation of Indigenous culture, and reconnecting Indigenous Peoples with their artefacts while decolonising museum work.