The Canadian Museums Association (CMA) is the voice for Canada’s vibrant museum community, from small, volunteer-driven organizations to cherished national institutions, and for the millions of Canadians whose lives are enriched by museums.
We advocate for public policies and support, we build skills across the profession, and we establish and inspire connections to strengthen and sustain museums.
Repatriation of belongings is an essential part of upholding the articles of UNDRIP. Specifically, repatriation is referenced in UNDRIP Article 12, but also implied in Article 11, which upholds the right of Indigenous peoples to “maintain, protect, and develop the past, present, and future manifestations of their cultures, such as archaeological and historical sites, artefacts, designs, ceremonies, technologies, and visual and performing arts and literature.”
As UNDRIP makes clear, the continued dispossession and disconnection between living culture and artefacts/belongings held in collections limits the self-determination of Indigenous Peoples.
