Smithsonian adopts policy for return of looted, unethically acquired items

The Smithsonian Institution has adopted a new policy to allow its museums to return items that were looted or unethically acquired.

“There is a growing understanding at the Smithsonian and in the world of museums generally that our possession of these collections carries with it certain ethical obligations to the places and people where the collections originated,” Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch said in a statement Tuesday.

“Among these obligations is to consider, using our contemporary moral norms, what should be in our collections and what should not. This new policy on ethical returns is an expression of our commitment to meet these obligations.”

The Institution set out on a mission to address unethically sourced items last year.

Under the new policy, formally adopted last week, the various Smithsonian museums will return some items from its collections based on ethical considerations including how items were acquired and the context of their display.

“Circumstances demonstrating unethical acquisition may include items that were stolen, taken under duress or removed without consent of the owner,” Smithsonian leaders said in a statement.

The policy applies to all 20 Smithsonian sites, including the National Zoo.

“Because the collections are so diverse — from spacecraft to fine art — implementation will be specifically tailored to each museum and its collections,” the organization noted in its news release on the policy changes.

Many museums have faced increased scrutiny in recent years amid discussions about racism and colonialism.

The Smithsonian created an “Ethical Returns Working Group” last April to review policies about the ethical return of items from its collections. In the final version of its values statement, the Smithsonian leaders recognize that there is a difference between legal and ethical norms when acquiring and displaying items.

The museum says human remains are of particular concern, particularly those acquired without the consent of the deceased individual.

“Regardless of prior consent and whatever their context in place and time, we believe that all human remains must be treated with dignity and respect, as those once living, and not objectified as a scientific resource, and we are committed to the ethical return or shared stewardship of human remains whenever possible,” the museum’s values statement reads.