Via Smithsonian Magazine, November 16, 2022
For over 80 years, Harvard University’s Peabody Museum has been in possession of a collection of hair samples taken from 700 Native American children. Last week, the museum disclosed the collection in a formal apology and pledged to return the samples to families and tribal communities.
“We recognize that for many Native American communities, hair holds cultural and spiritual significance,” writes the museum, adding that it apologizes “for our complicity in the objectification of Native peoples and for our more than 80-year possession of hair taken from their relatives.”
