The Museums Association’s (MA) director Sharon Heal said concern about human remains had been expressed during the recent sector-wide consultation on the association’s newly revised Code of Ethics.
Heal called for the current government guidance on human remains to be updated, saying a coordinated approach across the sector is needed to address the issue.
She said: “The [Guardian] investigation provides invaluable insight into holdings of human remains across the UK.
“In order for ethical and restorative work to take place we need to understand what we have in our collections and to start conversations with stakeholders about how and where these collections are best looked after.
“A coordinated approach across the UK with funding for research and relationship-building, so that these collections can be cared for in the appropriate place with the respect and dignity that they deserve, is needed.
“We now have a better understanding of the meaning and impact of colonial era collections, and the Guidance for the Care of Human Remains should be updated in consultation with the sector and communities of origin.”
The MA’s Supporting Decolonisation in Museums campaign also provides valuable guidance on caring for colonial-era items and beginning a process of return, added Heal.
