ACTIONS
- Protect and safeguard cultural and natural heritage
- Learning and educational opportunities
- Cultural participation/social inclusion
- Sustainable tourism
- Support research
- Employment (recruiting, training, safety)
- Energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions
- Waste management and reduction
- Transport (forms of, energy use)
- Commercial activities including copyright and IP
- Governance and management
- Security, disaster preparedness, risk reduction
- External partnerships and collaborations
SDGs
- Toolkit/framework/roadmap
- Case studies
- Workshop plans
Contaminated Collections - Issues for Tribes and Museums
Intended Audience
Tribes and museums concerned with the preservation of, access and use of, and repatriation of cultural heritage and human remains
- California Department of Parks and Recreation
“In 2001, the National Park Service awarded California State Parks a $41,635 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) grant to plan and implement a series of workshops throughout the state to bring together tribal members and museum staff to examine the issue of contaminated collections. Robert Stearns, National NAGPRA Program Manager wrote: "The National NAGPRA Program and the NAGPRA Review Committee are concerned about the past use of pesticides to preserve collections, and the potential effects that these chemicals may still have. National NAGPRA funded this project because of its educational focus and collaborative approach, with tribal representatives and museum staff working together on this important issue." The result was a true cross-cultural collaboration involving federal and state agencies, two contractors, California Indian people from numerous tribes and staff from a variety of museums. Our common bond was deep concern about this important issue.
Goals And Objectives
The project’s goals were to:
- Inform tribes and museum workers how and why pesticides were used on the objects.
- Clarify the nature of these pesticides, the kinds of pests that they targeted, and to understand the kinds of health problems that can be caused by their use.
- Explore ways for tribes to safely use contaminated objects.
- Identify methods by which testing can be made compatible with Indian beliefs and traditions.”
Avaiable in
- English
SDGs LINKAGES
Implementing the resource supports a number of SDG targets relating to the ownership of cultural property as well as SDG targets related to environmental pollution and human health: 1.4 (access, ownership and control over land and other forms of property, including inheritance), including 3.9 (reduce deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and pollution), 4.4 (staff skills), 6.3 (reduce water pollution), 8.8 (safe working environments), 9.1 (sustainable infrastructure), 10.2 (promoting universal social, economic and political inclusion of all), 11.4 (strengthening efforts to protect and safeguard cultural and natural heritage), 11.7 (safe and welcoming public spaces), 12.4 (sound management of wastes), 16.4 (combat illicit flows, strengthen recovery of stolen assets), 16.6 (effective, accountable and transparent institutions), 16.7 (inclusive decision making), 16.10 (support fundamental freedoms, in line with human rights) and 16.B (uphold and promote laws and policies for sustainable development), and 17.14 (Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development).
Close partnership working with source communities supports SDGs 17.16 (global and international partnerships) and 17.17 (cross-sector, local and national partnerships for sustainable development).
Ensuring source communities are able to access and make use of their cultural heritage relies on their access to infrastructure (including museums) for social inclusion and economic development (9.1), and also ensures they can draw on heritage as part of SDGs 4.5 (eliminate barriers in education) and 4.7 (Education for Sustainable Development).
Click on the SDG Target to discover Our Collections Matter indicators
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Numbers and proportions of people from particular groups using collections in comparison with demographics in broader society.
- Numbers of people accessing collections.
- Number of targeted programmes that aim to enhance access to collections by disadvantaged groups.
- Sustainable tourism that enhances local communities’ access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property (including cultural and natural heritage), as well as to technology and markets.
- Involvement of people from disadvantaged groups in decision-making activities and processes relating to collections and collections-based institutions.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Plans, policies and procedures in place to prevent harmful exposure to hazardous chemicals associated with collections, or collections-related activities.
- Plans, policies and procedures in place to ensure hazardous chemicals and other forms of pollutant are properly managed and disposed of, to prevent release into the natural environment.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number of young people and adults in skills-development activities and programmes drawing on collections, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.
- Increase in number of young people and adults in such programmes.
- Number and proportion of staff who have received training in the last year, to better support their contribution to the SDGs.
- Programs and processes in place to ensure the availability of a skilled workforce.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number of educational and/or training programmes drawing on collections directed to eliminate gender disparities in education.
- Number of educational and/or training programmes drawing on collections directed to meet the particular needs of persons with disabilities.
- Number of educational and/or training programmes drawing on collections directed to meet the particular needs of Indigenous peoples’ groups.
- Number of educational and/or training programmes drawing on collections directed to meet the particular needs of children in vulnerable situations.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Numbers of people in each type of programme drawing on collections from different demographic groups.
- Increases in numbers of people in each type of programme from different demographic groups.
- Proportion of people involved in such programmes in relation to overall audience size.
- Evidence that learners have acquired knowledge and skills to promote sustainable development.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Amount of pollutants, and reduction in pollutants, to water systems.
- Plans in place for the identification, reduction, replacement and recycling of hazardous chemical and materials, to prevent their release into water systems, with plans to eliminate their use as soon as possible.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number and proportions of staff working with collections in safe and secure working environments.
- Number of accidents and other health and safety incidents reported.
- Training and support provided for staff to ensure their wellbeing, health and safety.
- Education, awareness-raising and partnership programmes drawing on collections that address labour rights, notably those of migrant workers and others in precarious employment.
- Reduction of numbers and proportions of staff on short-term or zero-hours contracts.
- Fair pay policies and procedures in place to prevent exploitation.
- Procurement policies that ensure that collecting institutions make use of people who are in decent employment, and that avoid exploitation throughout the supply chain.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Development of research-useful collections to support reliable, sustainable and resilient use by researchers and others.
- Number and proportion of collections facilities and stores that support economic development and human well-being.
- Number and proportion of collections facilities and stores that provide affordable and equitable access for all.
- Investment in collections facilities.
- Inclusion of collections information in regional and transborder initiatives, notably via digital access for discoverability.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Collections development to ensure that collections effectively meet the needs of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
- Number and proportion of educational and participatory programmes that promote participation irrespective of social or other status.
- Numbers and proportions of people making use of collections in relation to the demographic of the local population.
- Numbers and proportions of people involved in focused programmes aimed at promoting social, economic and political inclusion.
- Numbers and proportions of people from different demographic groups involved in decision-making processes relating to collections and collections-based institutions.
- Number and types of partnerships that build relationships with marginalized groups, individuals and communities.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Total expenditure (public and private) per capita spent on the preservation, protection and conservation of all cultural and natural heritage, by type of heritage.
- Plans, policies and procedures in place for the safe use of collections for a variety of purposes, protecting and safeguarding both collections and those who use them.
- Plans, policies and procedures in place for the identification, safeguarding and protection of cultural and natural heritage at risk.
- Collecting programmes in place to protect, safeguard and make use of cultural and natural heritage, addressing the needs of communities and stakeholders, and ensuring that collections can be an effective resource for sustainable development.
- Number and diversity of educational, awareness-raising, research programmes, and partnerships that aim to strengthen protection of cultural and natural heritage.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Numbers of people accessing collecting institutions from different demographic groups, notably women, children, older people and persons with disabilities.
- Increases in numbers of people accessing collecting institutions from different demographic groups.
- Measures taken to remove barriers to access green and public spaces.
- Extent of green space provided by collections institutions.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Quantities, and reduction in quantities, of chemicals of all kinds, including chemicals used in maintenance of collections facilities, and chemicals used in care and preparation of collections, and all wastes throughout their life cycle, reducing release to air, water and soil.
- Plans in place to eliminate the use and release of hazardous chemicals and harmful wastes of all kinds into the natural environment as soon as possible.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Identification of stolen assets, return of stolen assets.
- Collections development, education, awareness-raising and partnership activities relating to organized crime, with a view to combatting organized crime everywhere.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Proportion of the population [audience/users/non-users] satisfied with their last experience of public services.
- Access to information, and accountability policies and mechanisms, in place.
- Effective institutional arrangements, both for own working and for working in partnership with other sectors, in place.
- Plans and arrangements in place for extraordinary circumstances such as natural and human-caused disasters.
- Effective arrangements in place to fulfil legal and social obligations and responsibilities.
- Effective arrangements in place for transparent communication and reporting of institutional performance.
- Effective arrangements in place for transparent decision-making and accountability.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Proportions of positions (by sex, age, persons with disabilities and population groups) in public institutions (national and local legislatures, public service, and judiciary) compared to national distributions.
- Proportion of population [audience/users/non-users] who believe decision-making is inclusive and responsive, by sex, age, disability and population group.
- Decision-making addresses societal, environmental and economic challenges related to the community, considering short-term and long-term risks and opportunities.
- Decision-making draws on diverse backgrounds, viewpoints and interests, reflecting a broad base of stakeholders, and working to promote inclusion and provide effective services for all of society.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Adopt and implement constitutional, statutory and/or policy guarantees for public access to information.
- Plans in place, and plans implemented to enhance public access to information relating to collections.
- Plans in place, and plans implemented to support fundamental freedoms, in line with human rights, national and international agreements and legislation.
- Plans and procedures in place for public access to information relating to the operation and management of collections-based institutions.
- Complaint mechanism in place for public to use where public access to information and fundamental freedoms not supported or fulfilled.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Proportion of population [audience/users/non-users] reporting having personally felt discriminated against or harassed in the previous 12 months on the basis of a ground of discrimination prohibited under international human rights law.
- Number and proportion of policies that incorporate sustainable development considerations, in the full sense of recognizing all three of social, economic and environmental considerations.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Proportion of policies that incorporate sustainable development considerations, linking to SDGs and targets.
- Incorporation of policy considerations from outside the collections sector into policies of collections-based institutions, to facilitate partnerships and effectiveness.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number and/or increase in number, and diversity of global and international multi-stakeholder partnerships that share collection-related knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources to address the SDGs, or that otherwise involve collections-based organisations and institutions.
- Number and/or increase in number, and diversity of global and international multi-stakeholder partnerships involving developing countries that share collection-related knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources to address the SDGs.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Amount of United States dollars committed to public-private and civil society partnerships.
- Number and/or increase in number, and diversity of local, national and regional multi-stakeholder (public, public-private and civil society) partnerships that address the SDGs drawing on collections, or that otherwise involve collections-based organisations and institutions.