Invited comment in Current Anthropology

In their article, Jane Anderson and Sonya Atalay propose that we rethink repatriation. Instead of viewing it as mainly about transfer of ownership, they propose that we also understand it as a pedagogic opportunity. The power of this suggestion lies not only in the benefits of learning, which, of course are fundamental, but also in the realization that repatriation is necessary—not only for descending communities but also for the institutions that are in possession of their cultural heri- tage and ancestors. I argue that while native interest and survival are and should remain central to repatriation as a process, it is increasingly also becoming about the survival of these institutions—their reputation, their legitimacy, and their sustainability. Perhaps we have reached a point where museums and other institutions holding collections from indigenous communities need the process of repatriation as much as the communities of origin.