Claims on Human Remains in the British Museum: 1995-2007
From 1995 until the passing of the Human Tissue Act into law,
there were six approaches to the British Museum from organisations
making claims against human remains in the Museum collection.
|
Date
|
Claimant Body
|
Material claimed
|
|
November 1997
|
Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre
|
Two cremation ash bundles from
Tasmania
|
|
1997-98
|
Haida Nation band council
|
Human skull
|
|
November 1998
|
Te Papa/Museum of New Zealand
|
Maori Tatooed heads (mokomokai)
|
|
August 2001
|
Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre Repeat
Request
|
Two cremation ash bundles from
Tasmania
|
|
December 2001
|
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Commission (ATSIC – defunct Australian government agency)
|
Australian human remains
|
|
May 2002
|
Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre Repeat
Request
|
Two cremation ash bundles from
Tasmania
|
Since the relevant section 47 of the
Human Tissue Act came into force in 2005, the Museum has received
one approach which will be considered by Trustees pending receipt
of a final independent report, in accordance with the Trustees’ Human Remains policy
|
Date
|
Claimant Body
|
Material claimed
|
|
July 2005
|
Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre in
association with the Australian government
|
Two cremation ash bundles from
Tasmania
|
NB four of the seven claims listed
above have been made by or with the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre,
submitting repeat requests for the same material.
For further information on any of
these claims please contact the Museum at collectionenquiries@britishmuseum.org