This morning there was quite a stir around our campfire! An Etsy seller listed some Native American Artifacts including bones for sale. As you would surely understand, we were all extremely upset.
I sent the seller this convo:
Listing: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=44959027
I just thought you should know that this listing has created a terrible stir in the Etsy Native American community. To participate in the selling of the bones of our ancients is deplorable. It may be acceptable in terms of legality, but I would think that anyone can see that it is morally reprehensible. I doubt you would enjoy having your grandmother’s bones for sale here. I do hope that you will reconsider wanting to be associated with the sale of our ancestors’ bones. Joni Stinson, Creek-Cherokee
I just thought you should know that this listing has created a terrible stir in the Etsy Native American community. To participate in the selling of the bones of our ancients is deplorable. It may be acceptable in terms of legality, but I would think that anyone can see that it is morally reprehensible. I doubt you would enjoy having your grandmother’s bones for sale here. I do hope that you will reconsider wanting to be associated with the sale of our ancestors’ bones. Joni Stinson, Creek-Cherokee
The seller has responded. Here is the response:
Thank you for that insight. The bones will be interred with proper ritual in accordance with the traditions of the region from which they came. They were part of the collection which I have listed on behalf of the ITFTHS and was not aware of their presence until the photos were taken..
My personal beliefs are eclectic and cremation is my personal choice… to return to the earth those elements which will nurture it.
However, I hope that returning the bones to the earth will satisfy the First Nation People of the Etsy community and you will express my apologies to them.
Sincerely,
Subsequently, I received a convo from Kicking Bear. He said, “I will be holding a special ceremony for the
remains during the new moon ceremony (friday night) and symbolically intern them with respect.
remains during the new moon ceremony (friday night) and symbolically intern them with respect.
I did not want to jeopardize our thread as this would be “calling out”. Please remember that we can use this blog to express things that are not allowed on Etsy. I would be absolutely sick if our forum thread got closed by Etsy for Calling Out. Should you see something you would like to make our members aware of, just convo me and I will put it on the blog.
May 13, 2010
naforum22
The Native American Forum 
9 responses to “Ancestorial Remains”
Joni Stinson
May 13th, 2010 at 16:25
The item is still listed but the photos with bones have been removed and this quote is in the description: "***The bones have been removed from this collection and been respectfully returned to the earth.
Van Fleet Street Design
May 13th, 2010 at 17:28
I purposely didn’t comment on the thread because I cannot hold back when things like this are done. How can we be sure that they will indeed "… will be interred with proper ritual in accordance with the traditions of the region from which they came" are they going back to the place in which they were found and interning them there? This is a crazy, disrespectful, greedy, inconsiderate, unconscionable, ignorant and a most horrendous act! I think what you said in your convo was just right when you addressed their grandparents’ bones being sold! It has sickened me. Wado to you Joni!
MarinahLynn
May 13th, 2010 at 18:52
Wado Joni and Kicking Bear. I too was horribly upset when I saw the listing but was far enough behind and playing catch up that I saw the well worded warning about "calling out". Knowing myself as I do…I refrained from commenting at all because I would have written a novel and "held forth" in such a manner that would have been counter-productive to the thread. Bless you for dealing with this. I simply cannot imagine that anyone would HAVE to be told this was inappropriate. Stupid, ignorant, greedy people just wear me out and make me very sad.
Theresa
May 13th, 2010 at 21:55
I just saw the listing and his statment that the bones "have been returned to the earth" lack sincerity and credibility. Etsy has a policy against such things and also I believe it is an infraction of federal law to sell any human bones. His outrgeous prices, including shipping to parts around thw world tell me that he knows exactly what he is selling. Has anyone reported him to federal authorities?
bumperstickersn
May 13th, 2010 at 23:20
Joni,Thanks for the professional manner in which you and Kicking Bear handled this situation. I am glad the seller was able to see the error and that the situation will be rectified. I too, would hate to lose our campfire over anything. Well done everyone.
Tara (spac)
May 14th, 2010 at 05:19
This has me extremely beside myself. I got visibly upset on the thread, please forgive me and forget about it. Some rest will serve me well. I will note how I feel about this issue in the morning.Hogs and Hugs!
Theresa
May 14th, 2010 at 15:55
Joni and KB, thanks for your efforts to handle this in a good way. After reading the sellers response, I am still not buying it. There are specific legal procedures for repatriating NA artifacts, involving the Tribe of origin, legal and criminal experts who know what they are doing. I am still of the opinion that the federal atuthorities need to be contacted to check out the facts in this matter and investigate (FBI). Although he claims to have museum status and that it is okay for him to sell some of his holdings, why is he trying to sell on Etsy and including shipping charges around the world? I have asked an archeologist friend of mine to weigh in on this controversy.Theresa
Tara (spac)
May 15th, 2010 at 02:03
I agree with Theresa. He could just be attempting to mollify our anger by telling us what we want to hear, but actually have done nothing with the remains (other than removing the picture of them from the listing). I am still of the opinion that someone-an authority on this type of crime-should be contacted.Once my feathers have been ruffled, so to speak, I can become very stubborn so I am not sure what to do.
claydancerdesigns
May 15th, 2010 at 02:37
Thankyou Joni, for attending to this reprehensible matter. We can pray that the seller will do what he said he would do, and respectfully inter the human remains. it would seem that the seller responded a little too quickly, like a snake into the dark grass.Eva