THE MORALITY OF BEING AN INTERNATIONAL TREASURE HUNTER / ARCHAEOLOGIST

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Posted by HANNIBAL KING from ausfire.austin.ppdi.com on December 10, 1998 at 05:20:17:

Hey, how are you all doing?
Recently is Scotland there was a case in the newspapers of a legal fight to have a cultural artefact returned to it's origins. In the Kelvingrove Art Galleries in Glasgow (about 30 miles from where I stay), there was housed a Sioux Ghost shirt which was reputedly taken from a dead Sioux brave after the Wounded Knee massacre. This shirt was brought to Scotland by Bufallo Bill's Wild West show and presented to the people of Glasgow as a gift. However, whilst over on vacation an American lawyer (who just happened to be native American) saw the shirt and thus began the long process which, quite rightly, resulted in the return of the shirt. I followed this case with interest and it started an interesting thought process. Does Indy have any moral justification in removing these artefacts from their place of origin. Sure, it's different with the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail because as Henry Sr. puts it . . . "It's a race against evil". The Nazi's couldn't have been allowed to get hold of these artefacts.

However, I am more concerned with the Fertility god at the beginning of Raiders. Indy risks life and limb to obtain this idol and then tells Belloq : "It's a pity the Hovito's don't know you the way I do Belloq". But what was Belloq doing that was fundamentally different to what Indy was doing? I mean this idol was obviously very precious and important to the Hovitos and if Indy had succeeded it would be housed in a museum thousands of miles away. Being looked at by largely disinterested people.

Yet a year earlier he gave up the remaining Sankara stone and presented it to the villagers. Why? What was the difference between the Hovitos and the Indian villagers.

I'd like to hear some differing viewpoints on this matter. Does Indy have any rights to remove precious relics from living cultures (no matter how nasty they get with their blowpipes)?.

Seeya, Hannibal.

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