Historical Society sells $370K of Indian Artifacts

[Shannon Graham]

Southern Oregon Historical Society sell artifacts to raise money.

Artifacts net nearly $370,000 | MailTribune.com

Shannon

[SmokyHill]

Originally Posted by Shannon Graham

Southern Oregon Historical Society sell artifacts to raise money.
Shannon

Thanks for the news item Shannon.

The article illustrates why many owners of private collections have doubts about donating
their collections to state institutions.

The beautiful Cheyenne shirt which was originally collected at Fort McPherson, Nebraska is
a real treasure. It's to bad it ever left the state of Nebraska.

SH

[Indianasmith]

I'm glad to see more artifacts in private hands! They will be prized and exhibited, not boxed in a warehouse to gather dust.

[jeremywilliams]

I read somthing about a sale like this a few months back in Oregon also where they did not sale any artifacts that were native to Oregon but did sale off out of state artifacts like these.

[homestyle]

Here is the article that appeared in my paper this morning. It has additional information not included in the other article including Native American perspectives and a tidbit about how they commissioned a report to determine wether it was legal to sell under NAGPRA.

Auctioned Indian artifacts net $338K for historical society | | The Bulletin

[Trask]

We can't pick'em up...But they can SELL them???
I guess I personally don't have that big of a problem with it..Especially since it sorta Shoots the whole "higher moral ground" argument, against collecting, right in the foot

I like the legal precedent it sets for the state.

[drdave514]

Beyond the irritation of hypocritical actions...... is my math THAT bad.

How do you sell a shirt for 400K, bones for 280K, 4 other items for 85K and only raise 370K?????????????????????

I know commission is high but holy crap balls. When did commission and insurance become HALF?

[joshuaream]

We are lucky in that stone relics don't require maintenance to keep them in as found condition, but organic items like these can get expensive and difficult to maintain. Often times those items were relatively new when acquired but now are aging quickly. At least the museum realized they couldn't take care of it and sold it to someone who will.

I am surprised it was sold since it had human hair, the museum at the University I studied at had to turn over several leather items because they had what was presumed to be hair (actual scalps I understand, but hair seemed to be a stretch to call remains.)

[ghost recon]

Originally Posted by Trask

We can't pick'em up...But they can SELL them???
I guess I personally don't have that big of a problem with it..Especially since it sorta Shoots the whole "higher moral ground" argument, against collecting, right in the foot

I like the legal precedent it sets for the state.

My thoughts as well.

[Trask]

I am also glad that the museum sold these artifacts in the name of preserving a more vital core collection more effectively. I think it also demonstrates that there exists a clear and growing problem we are all too familiar with..preserving these type of artifacts responsibly is very costly.(and funding for such has no light at the end of this current economic tunnel) I think it also concedes a critical point that often fails to get recognized; Private collectors can and do curate and properly preserve world class artrifacts