Indigenous Peoples, Shamanic Objects, Repatriation and Museums

Abstract (English)

This paper aims to discuss issues related to indigenous objects and their circulation, also addressing the so-called "objects of the enchanted", non-human beings with whom shamans establish communication, and ancestral artifacts. The analysis focuses on objects from the Upper Rio Negro region, which have historically aroused interest among researchers in the fields of ethnology, museology and cultural heritage of indigenous peoples, within the contemporary conceptions of material and immaterial cultures. Thus, within this framework, we seek to understand and value the different agents by understanding the concepts and meanings that certain groups attribute to their objects, tangible and intangible achievements, which, in turn, give rise to different forms of museums, classifications or collections. Although anthropology constitutes the core, the theoretical guidelines that guide us are based on a reciprocal dialogue with different fields of knowledge. The current perspective of museological studies requires an interdisciplinary dialogue applied to a broad field of practical activities, including those related to the safeguarding chain (conservation-restoration and documentation), museological communication (expography and educational action), cultural heritage management and memory management tools.