Repatriation Network
Repatriation has become a central issue in critical heritage studies and heritage practices across the globe. It requires addressing not only heritage's legal dimensions but also its ethical stands. In this, what it means to reconcile, to transition, to decolonize and to right past and present wrongs is changing and being challenged. In such a context, academic analyses of repatriation should serve and further the cause of ancestors and belongings returning home.
Whilst the topic concerns many actors in the international and domestic arenas, gathering international organizations, nation-states, and different communities of stakeholders, repatriation often relies upon small personal networks which can be vital in securing the return of ancestors and belongings. In order to gain momentum, a broader international network is required to support these efforts, and make the most of the experience and expertise held across the world.
The ACHS network on Repatriation aims to connect practitioners, scholars and stakeholders in repatriation, restitution, return, and shared stewardship, among others. It intends to facilitate communication and collaboration across disciplines, borders and contexts to explore repatriation's —and alike concepts’—many conceptual possibilities and implications, centering its practices and procedures. It is also interested in how repatriation changes the way heritage is understood, and the many challenges it poses to the heritage sector in general, from museums to states and different communities of practitioners. As a result, it seeks to contribute to new research agendas and sharing of practices.
If you are interested in joining or getting more details about the network, please contact one of its coordinators:
Lucas da Costa Maciel, Kiñelmapu Koyawe Repatriation Commission: lucasdcmaciel@gmail.com
Amy Shakespeare, University of Exeter: als261@exeter.ac.uk