International declarations, beginning with the 1948 UNESCO Universal Declaration of Human Rights, have set forth basic human rights. These include the right to full access to, and control by, the individual and her/his self-defined group over their cultural heritage and its expression in sites, buildings, structures, objects, rituals, and traditional knowledge (see Native Peoples and Archaeology). Archaeological ethical codes and standards of practice respect those rights. The World Archaeological Congress (WAC) 1991 First Code of Ethics: Members’ Obligations to Indigenous Peoples states that members are (see World Heritage Sites, Types and Laws):
1. to acknowledge the importance of indigenous cultural heritage, including sites, places, objects, artifacts, human remains, to the survival of indigenous cultures;
2. to acknowledge the importance of protecting indigenous cultural heritage to the well-being of indigenous peoples;
3. to acknowledge the special importance of indigenous ancestral human remains, and sites containing and/or associated with such remains, to indigenous peoples;
4. to acknowledge that the important relationship between indigenous peoples and their cultural heritage exists irrespective of legal ownership;
5. to acknowledge that the indigenous cultural heritage rightfully belongs to the indigenous descendants of that heritage;
6. to acknowledge and recognize indigenous methodologies for interpreting, curating, managing, and protecting indigenous cultural heritage;
7. to establish equitable partnerships and relationships between members and indigenous peoples whose cultural heritage is being investigated;
8. to seek, whenever possible, representation of indigenous peoples in agencies funding or authorizing research to be certain that their view is considered as critically important in setting research standards, questions, priorities, and goals.
The WAC Code incorporates by reference the 1989 WAC Vermillion Accord on Human Remains:
1. Respect for the mortal remains of the dead shall be accorded to all, irrespective of origin, race, religion, nationality, custom, and tradition.
2. Respect for the wishes of the dead concerning disposition shall be accorded whenever possible, reasonable, and lawful, when they are known or can be reasonably inferred.
3. Respect for the wishes of the local community and of relatives or guardians of the dead shall be accorded whenever possible, reasonable, and lawful.
4. Respect for the scientific research value of skeletal, mummified, and other human remains (including fossil hominids) shall be accorded when such value is demonstrated to exist.
5. Agreement on the disposition of fossil, skeletal, mummified, and other remains shall be reached by negotiation on the basis of mutual respect for the legitimate concerns of communities for the proper disposition of their ancestors, as well as the legitimate concerns of science and education.
6. The expressed recognition that the concerns of various ethnic groups, as well as those of science, are legitimate and to be respected will permit acceptable agreements to be reached and honored.
World History
