Restitution or a loss to science? Understanding the Importance of Returning Māori Ancestral Remains

Abstract

Over the past 20 years, the main focus of repatriation-related publications has been on how the return of human remains impacts on the institutions in which the remains reside. With a few exceptions, discussion has focused on questions concerning whether repatriation of human remains is a loss to science or the public good, and on changes in the way human remains are cared for, treated, displayed, and stored. But what about the effects on the descendant communities from which these remains originate? This article examines the importance of returning Māori ancestral remains back to descendant communities, and the development of the repatriation movement in Aotearoa New Zealand. The ethical consideration relating to research on Māori ancestral remains is explored also to understand how scientific research is viewed and used in the context of Aotearoa New Zealand. It is hoped that by sharing some of the impacts from a Māori perspective, there will be a better understanding of how this affects Indigenous communities globally.