Museums
Harvard Pledges to Return Human Remains of Enslaved People to Descendents
Harvard University agreed on Thursday to return the human remains of 19 individuals who were likely enslaved to their descendants, accepting recommendations from a committee tasked with examining how the school should treat human remains in its museum collections.
‘It’s Meant Everything’: Tomahawk of Chief Standing Bear Returned from Harvard’s Peabody Museum to Ponca Tribe
On June 3, after pandemic-induced delays, a delegation of Ponca Tribe representatives traveled to Cambridge for a repatriation ceremony for Ponca Tribe chief Standing Bear’s pipe tomahawk.
Mass. Supreme Court Allows Emotional Distress Claim Against Harvard to Proceed in Suit Over Photos of Enslaved People
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court overturned a lower court’s dismissal of Tamara K. Lanier’s emotional distress claim against Harvard, according to a decision released Thursday morning, allowing Lanier to continue to seek damages from the University.
Cambridge City Council Calls On Harvard to Return Human Remains of Enslaved People, Native Americans
Following reports last week that Harvard University holds the human remains of at least 19 individuals who were likely enslaved and nearly 7,000 Native Americans, the Cambridge City Council adopted a policy order urging the University to relinquish the remains to their descendants during a Monday meeting.
Harvard Holds Human Remains of 19 Likely Enslaved Individuals, Thousands of Native Americans, Draft Report Says
Harvard University holds the human remains of at least 19 individuals who were likely enslaved and almost 7,000 Native Americans — collections that represent “the University’s engagement and complicity” with slavery and colonialism, according to a draft University report obtained by The Crimson.
After Agreeing to Repatriate Ponca Tomahawk, Peabody Museum Awaits Visit from Tribal Leaders
The Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology removed a pipe tomahawk that once belonged to Ponca chief Standing Bear from its collections last September, after calls for the museum to return the tomahawk to the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska and the Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma garnered international attention.
Harvard Art Museums Implement 'ReFrame' Initiative
The Harvard Art Museums have made progress in implementing their “ReFrame” initiative, which was announced last fall. The initiative aims to bring previously unseen collections out of storage and reframe existing curations.
HMSC Museum Opening
Beginning on November 26th, visitors were allowed back inside the HMSC Museums with a timed ticket reservation, for the first time since March 2020.
Visitors Laud Science and Culture Museums’ Public Reopening
After an extended shutdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Harvard Museums of Science and Culture and its programs reopened to both Harvard affiliates and the general public last week.
Mass. Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments Over Harvard’s Possession of Photos Depicting Enslaved People
In the opening salvo of their effort to appeal the March dismissal of Lanier v. Harvard, lawyers for Tamara K. Lanier and Harvard argued before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court about whether the University unlawfully possesses and profits from historic photos Lanier says depict her enslaved ancestors.
HMSC Fireside Chat
Brenda D. Tindal, the executive director of the Harvard Museums of Science and Culture, held a conversation on Tuesday night about her priorities in this new role.
Tindal Lays Out Vision as New Museums Director, Addresses Recent Controversies
Brenda D. Tindal, the new executive director of the Harvard Museums of Science and Culture, shared her vision for the HMSC and her passion for museums, community engagement, and civic dialogue during a virtual fireside chat Tuesday evening.
Documentary on Harvard Daguerreotypes Lawsuit Premieres as Court Hearing Looms
A documentary on a Black woman trying to reclaim her family’s history by suing Harvard University over its possession of photographs depicting her enslaved ancestors premiered Friday at a Harvard Square movie theater.
Affiliates Celebrate Reopening of Harvard Art Museums
The Harvard Art Museums welcomed back students and Cambridge art lovers in early September, nearly 18 months after shutting their doors in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Harvard Art Museums
After being closed since March 2020 due to the pandemic, the Harvard Art Museum reopened to the public on Saturday.
Harvard Art Museums to Require Proof of Vaccination, Negative Covid Test
Martha Tedeschi, the Art Museums’ director, said in a press release the new policy prioritizes the safety of visitors and staff considering the state of the pandemic across the country.
City Council Approves Baldwin Neighborhood Name, Replacing Agassiz
The Cambridge City Council on Aug. 2 unanimously approved the renaming of the Agassiz neighborhood north of Harvard to honor Maria L. Baldwin, the first Black female principal in the Northeast.
Harvard Art Museums To Reopen in September, Pilot ‘Free Sunday’ Initiative
More than a year after their abrupt closing, Harvard Art Museums plan to reopen Sept. 4 at reduced capacity and offer free admission on Sundays.
Peabody Museum in Talks To Repatriate Ponca Tomahawk Following Descendant’s Request, Nebraska Legislature Resolution
The Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology is in talks with Ponca tribal leaders and a descendant of Ponca chief Standing Bear to repatriate to the Ponca people a pipe tomahawk that once belonged to Standing Bear, Museum Director Jane Pickering said in an interview on Thursday.
Tindal Named New Director of Harvard Museums of Science and Culture
Brenda D. Tindal will serve as the new executive director of the Harvard Museums of Science and Culture, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Claudine Gay announced Tuesday.
Peabody Museum Apologizes For Practices Around Native American Cultural Objects, Announces Policy Changes
Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology administrators apologized for the “pain” the museum caused by its refusal to voluntarily return certain funerary objects to Native American tribes and pledged to reverse the policy in response to a letter from the Association on American Indian Affairs last month criticizing the museum.
Native American Nonprofit Accuses Harvard of Violating Federal Graves Protection and Repatriation Act
The Association on American Indian Affairs sent a letter to University President Lawrence S. Bacow in February alleging that Harvard is in violation of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.