The U.S. has a lot of laws around the possession and ownership of human skulls

[jerwin]

@thomdunn

I know that the etymology of “cannibal” came from Christopher Columbus misunderstanding the Carib peoples’ name for themselves; and that the Caribs often kept the bones of relative for religious reasons, which Columbus assumed meant that they ate humans.

Bone Houses: A Definitive Guide to the World's Ossuaries

one in spain; six in italy.

[Bobo]

Holy crap. I totally misread that (assuming that there were protections for everyone other than one group). Makes one wonder how bad things had to get for there to be a law specifically protecting NA skeletal remains.

[Bobo]

Well, to be fair, there are a lot of other ethnic groups whose human remains have been a commodity (I’m looking at you Europe and the use of mummies for everything from party “unwrapping” activities, to “medicine”, to pigments for paint “mummia”). Hell, grave robbing was a pretty big thing in Victorian times eh? So even intra-ethic group disrespect of the dead was happening.

[the_borderer]

@semiotix

I’m a classic big-government liberal. I think the state has a right and an obligation to make sure that society is orderly, fair, and healthy. So it’s not like I have any kind of philosophical objection to these laws, which I know are well-intentioned.

I think I just experienced the double take that other people experience when I talk about libertarian socialism. I know it’s not what you meant, but classical liberalism is anything but big government.

Classical liberalism

[Mister44]

It isn’t messed up because IIRC the law is about protecting Indian archaeological sites and any remains therein.

ETA - oops. That is ironic. You read the law backwards, and I read your reply backwards.

Carry on.

[Hypoxia]

Skulls: Circa 1968 I knew disreputable guys in NYC who harvested skulls from cemeteries to sell to ritualists. Hey, it beats working for a living.

Feathers: Back when we haunted auctions of Native American artifacts, if word came that a federal inspector was approaching, feathers were quickly yanked from baskets and weavings.

More skulls: I recall a European church with relics including a large skull of the adult St John and a small skull of St John as an infant. Whatever works.

Future merchandise for the BB Shop: Custom CAT-scans of a head, with a skull molded from carbon to match the customer. Get the Kickstarter going.

[thomdunn]

Haha glad I caught the edit here — I was going to say, there was a whole thing with the Sioux in North/South Dakota back in 2016 that pretty definitively proved that the US government doesn’t give a shit about Native American burial sites when there’s oil money to be made.

[Mister44]

OH the Government can do what ever it wants when it wants.

But if you find something on your land, and they find out, they may come after you.