AAA Commission for the Ethical Treatment of Human Remains

The Institute for Prairie and Indigenous Archaeology (IPIA) respectfully invites you to the Public Forum for the American Anthropological Association’s (AAA) Commission for the Ethical Treatment of Human Remains (TCETHR). The event will take place September 15, 2023 at 6:30 pm in Telus 150.

The AAA is the world’s largest scholarly and professional organisation of anthropologists. The Association is dedicated to advancing human understanding and applying the understanding to the world’s most pressing problems. This public event caps off earlier listening sessions with both Indigenous community members and institutional partners. The Commission is tasked with helping generate a new proposed model of standards for institutional and professional accountability related to human remains in research collections, including respectful care for graves, grave goods, generic material, and ancestors housed in research collections at museums and academic institutions. While the AAA Commission for the Ethical Treatment of Human Remains is based in the United States, the need for an event focused on the Canadian context was identified in early meetings, as political borders often do not stop the movement of belongings and relatives between institutions. The public event will highlight some examples of the work of Commission members and allow for a broader conversation around the ethical treatment of human remains.

 Register