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The Penn Museum issued an apology for the Samuel G. Morton Collection, calling it an "unethical possession of human remains."
The 1,300 pieces of human crania were collected by 19th century doctor and white supremacist Samuel George Morton, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Museum officials told the Inquirer that the remains in the Morton Collection will be returned to local communities or congregations for burial in a historically black cemetery.
"It is time for these individuals to be returned to their ancestral communities, wherever possible, as a step toward atonement and repair for the racist and colonial practices that were integral to the formation of these collections," Penn Museum Director Dr. Christopher Woods said.
"We will also reassess our practices of collecting, stewarding, displaying, and researching human remains.”
In the summer of 2020, the Penn Museum established the Morton Collection Committee to examine ongoing issues pertaining to its Morton Cranial Collection and make recommendations for the appropriate treatment of portions of the Collection, the museum said in a release.
Through a series of meetings held between August 2020 and April 2021, it carried out the first stage of a three-step process of evaluation, assessment, and action. In April 2021, it issued a report of its recommendations.
“There is no ’one size fits all’ approach to handling repatriation and reburial in any circumstance.” Woods said. “Each case is unique and deserves its own consideration. This is incredibly sensitive work.
"And while we all desire to see the remains of these individuals reunited with their ancestral communities as quickly as possible, it is essential not to rush but to proceed with the utmost care and diligence.
"As we confront a legacy of racism and colonialism, it is our moral imperative to do so.”
Photo courtesy of University of Pennsylvania (YouTube screengrab).
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