Preserving what is valued: Museums, conservation, and First Nations

• Published in: The American review of Canadian studies Vol. 34; no. 2; p. 393
• Main Authors: Clavir, Miriam, Almazan, Tristan
• Format: Book Review
• Language: English
• Published: Washington Taylor & Francis Inc 01.07.2004
• Subjects: Collections; Conservation and restoration; Museums; Native North Americans; Canada
• ISSN: 0272-2011; 1943-9954

Clavir presents her subjects in two main sections: 1) Preservation and Museums, and 2) Preservation and First Nations. The first section discusses the profession of museum conservation-its history and values. Clavir notes that science, more specifically chemistry, was very important to the development of conservation. The profession diverged from the mostly non-scientific field of art restoration due in part to the need for "[l]ogical, systematic methodologies" (14) in growing museums of the early twentieth century. Conservation eventually "exerted its legitimacy..., solidified itself as a profession..., and became more and more associated with beliefs about how works should be preserved" (24). With regard to First Nations material, Clavir asserts that conservators are now "determining 'conceptual integrity' by consulting with the current generation of people who have the 'conceptual' rights to the objects..., [which] introduces a new area to conservation" (53). The second section of the book focuses on First Nations' opinions of cultural preservation and how those opinions differ, or are similar, to museums' preservation practices. Clavir begins by showing how First Nations generally view preservation and museums. She notes that for First Nations, "preservation of objects is connected to regaining identity, respect, and cultural well-being through practicing traditions and redressing historic power imbalances" (95). She next gives an overview of First Nations in British Columbia, many of whom she spoke with during her doctoral research. Following this overview is a documentation and discussion of First Nations members' personal opinions on the subject of cultural preservation. Individuals are quoted on a myriad of topics including, "Worldviews and the Meaning of Loss and Preservation" (121), "Access and Use" (144), and "Sacred/Sensitive Objects" (178). Clavir then provides a comparative study of preservation values by showing how the Maori and museums in New Zealand are dealing with the same dilemmas. She concludes that because ethnographic collections are evidences of the past and present, their importance "within a dynamic two-way relationship benefiting the originating people as well as museums, is fundamental to the preservation of what is valued by both First Nations and museum conservators" (249).