University of Michigan Issues Apology for Improper Acquisition of Indigenous Artifacts
On Monday afternoon, the University of Manitoba issued a public apology to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities.
U of M president Michael Benarroch apologized for the university’s history of improperly acquiring and housing items related to cultural heritage, including ancestral remains and burial belongings.
The university stated that this process began in the fall of 2019 when its anthropology department reached out to Indigenous faculty and staff.
As a result, a group of elders and knowledge keepers connected to the U of M formed the Respectful Rematriation and Repatriation Ceremony (RRRC) Council to guide school officials.
Together, the university and the council developed a policy to acknowledge the U of M’s role in historical injustices and to prevent similar transgressions in the future.
