Communities including indigenous peoples, former colonised peoples in Africa, Asia and Australasia are increasingly making requests for the return of their cultural heritage which includes their ancestors’ human remains. However, some museums and scientists have refused to repatriate cultural heritage or have initiated protracted delays. There are successful examples of the return of cultural heritage however there remains a core of “hard” cases. The continued retention of the cultural heritage of peoples perpetuates the cultural harm experienced at the time of ‘theft’ and is a continuing violation of the rights of these peoples.

Two significant studies call for the repatriation of the cultural heritage of indigenous peoples and African peoples.

• The Sarr & Savoy Report, 'The restitution of African cultural heritage toward a new relational ethics,’ (2018).
• The UN Report of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, ‘repatriation of ceremonial objects, human remains, and intangible resources under the United Nations Declaration on the rights of indigenous Peoples’ (2020).

In a response to an increasing number of requests for the return of cultural heritage the Human Rights Implementation Centre at the University of Bristol is establishing a Repatriation Division. The Human Rights Implementation Centre offers an opportune context for repatriation. The Repatriation Division will broadly focus on:

• Repatriation
• Protection
• Education

Repatriation will involve the identification of the ‘hard’ cases and work with the beneficiaries for the return of identified removed cultural heritage; protection will identify in situ cultural heritage presently vulnerable to ‘theft’ and work with communities to establish e.g. cultural protocols; education will involve research, workshops and awareness training.

We are presently assisting the Association on American Indian Affairs. We are very open to other collaborations.