Protection of First Nations Cultural Heritage

Univ of Washington Pr

Indigenous peoples world-wide seek greater control over tangible and intangible cultural heritage. In Canada, issues concerning repatriation and trade of material culture, heritage site protection, treatment of ancestral remains, and control over intangible heritage are governed by a complex and uncertain legal and policy environment.

A companion to First Nations Cultural Heritage and Law, this collection discusses key features of US and international law influencing Canada. Legal and extra-legal avenues for reform are examined, including ethics codes, research protocols, institutional policies, human rights law, and First Nation legal orders. The book examines the opportunities and limits of existing frameworks and questions whether a radical shift in legal and political relations is necessary for First Nations concerns to be meaningfully addressed.

Book News
In this companion to First Nations Cultural Heritage and Law: Case Studies, Voices, and Perspectives, Bell (law, U. of Alberta, Canada) and Paterson (law, U. of British Columbia, Canada) present 12 chapters exploring the operation, impact, and limits of existing Canadian law as it applies to First Nations (Native American) cultural heritage and placing relevant Canadian domestic law within a broad international, social, political, and legal context. In addition, although to a lesser degree than the other volume, which included more direct First Nations perspectives and experiences, the goal of the work is to facilitate greater understanding and respect for First Nations cultures, perspectives, and experiences. The volume's chapters are organized into sections dealing with issues of repatriation and trade in First Nations material culture; heritage sites and the repatriation of ancestral remains; intangible heritage and Western intellectual property law; and international human rights, First Nations laws, and recognition of First Nations legal institutions within the Canadian state. Distributed by UTP Distribution. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)