01/27/2024

American Museum of Natural History Closes Certain Displays Amid New Federal Regulations

Many Native American exhibits are going offline

The American Museum of Natural History in New York City is the latest institution across the country to close access to Native American exhibits as authorities return or seek permission from tribes to display artifacts in accordance with a new Biden Administration rule.

The museum's president Sean Decatur informed staff in a letter Friday of the closure of two of its halls filled with Native American objects, as well as the covering of cases in or just outside three other halls, starting Saturday. The museum will also suspend school field trips to one hall, but said it remains committed to supporting education about Indigenous peoples. Another exhibit developed with Indigenous communities remains open.

"While the actions we are taking this week may seem sudden, they reflect a growing urgency among all museums to change their relationships to, and representation of, indigenous cultures," Decatur wrote. "The halls we are closing are vestiges of an era when museums such as ours did not respect the values, perspectives, and indeed shared humanity of Indigenous peoples. Actions that may feel sudden to some may seem long overdue to others.” 

Please select this link to read the complete article from TIME.