most of the things in museums are stolen, or at the least ill-gotten. related to the conversations about appropriation, museum institutions of the monetarily rich and powerful nations have on view “arts and crafts” (would their makers call them this?) from “other” cultures (problematic, also) and nations with which they have incredibly oppresive histories and current relationships. on top of it, these exploitative relationships have often included culture genocide, accompanied by the mass exportations of these arts and crafts for our happy viewing. as in: we’re gonna oppress you and deem your culture “unnatural” “uncilivized”, but these things are “appreciated” when in a glass box after a (sometimes suggested) entrance fee to the building [likely built with money from enslavement and/or enslaving labor] where you can “really educate yourself about a people” and feel worldly and highcultured (one needs to be specific). i have never been to a museum that openly discusses this or encourages the privileged viewers to examine the privilege of viewing- why am i allowed to see this and others not? why are these in my neighborhood and not others?… are these “artifacts” avaliable to the people from which they came? or encouraged people to involve themselves actively in the current policies and corporate actions the usa, for example, has with these countries. i’m still working through this as a lover of days at the museum. my sister sent me this story about the Brooklyn Museum “willingly returning” arts and crafts from Costa Rica, who cannot afford the shipping costs. interesting… http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/laplaza/2011/01/costa-rica-brooklyn-museum-artifacts-objects-return.html