The Redpath Museum has a duty and a responsibility to acknowledge its colonial history with honesty and transparency.
Transparent Collections is one of the initiatives put in place to promote sincere and constructive action towards reconciliation and the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
Transparent Collections informs the public about changes to the exhibition galleries by highlighting the reflections, approaches, and decisions that guide the work of the conservation team and museum leadership.
Please note that this blog focuses solely on exhibitions, but efforts to implement UNDRIP in collections management are also central to our priorities.
The removal of human remains from exhibitions
(2021鈥�2027)
In 2021, the Redpath Museum made the decision to remove all ancestral remains on exhibit. This decision was made after careful consideration of several factors, including the needs voiced by local communities and communities of origin, ethical and sensitive issues surrounding the display of human remains acquired in a colonial context (without consent), and recommendations regarding the respectful care of ancestral remains in museums.
In a spirit of care, the museum draws inspiration from models implemented in other museums around the world. Those museums no longer consider human remains to be part of the collections and separate them from the rest of the collections in spaces dedicated to ancestors.
This initiative aims to provide a place of rest and transition for the ancestors. While the Redpath Museum takes a proactive approach in rematriation, repatriation and restitution, preparing for a return requires time, extensive research and resources. During this period, the human remains currently preserved at the museum will be moved to this new resting space, thanks to funding obtained from the Museum Assistance Program (MAP) at Canadian Heritage (2026鈥�2027).
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In 2021, a medicine banner (China; wood, metal, human teeth), a tsantsa (Peru or Ecuador; monkey remains, possibly containing human remains), and a mummified individual from Egypt were removed from the exhibits.
In 2026鈥�2027, the two mummified individuals from Egypt that are still on display in the Ancient Egypt section will be removed.
Can鈥檛 See the Mummies? An Exhibition in Transition
(February 2026)
This installation in the permanent exhibition on Ancient Egypt is inspired by the 鈥淯ncomfortable Tours鈥� created by art historian Alice Procter. It consists of a semi-transparent vinyl film applied to the displays鈥� glass that creates a smoked-glass effect. This installation symbolizes the transition toward the future removal of human remains from the exhibition and shifts visitors鈥� gaze toward the interpretive panels rather than toward the mummified individuals themselves.
The title of this exhibition in transition presents visitors with the question: 鈥淐an鈥檛 See the Mummies?鈥�, to prompt reflection on the meaning and objectives of the installation. The accompanying text then addresses the objectification of mummified human remains in the museum context, as well as the ethical issues related to the circumstances of their acquisition in the 19th century.
Finally, visitors are invited to contribute to the discussion by writing their comments and impressions in the DIALOGUE notebook located in the center of the exhibition.
Currencies in Africa
(2004鈥�2026)
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The display case titled 鈥淎frican Currencies鈥� was part of the permanent exhibition from 2004 to 2026. This exhibition aimed to showcase the diversity of currencies used on the African continent, as well as the influences of trade with the Middle East and Europe and the impact of colonisations. The cultural belongings on display were as follows:
- Bracelets/Anklets/Necklace, Angola, iron and copper
- Double Gong, Congo, iron, plant fiber
- Coins, Southeast Africa, copper
- Bronze Manilla, Ivory Coast and Nigeria, bronze
- Katanga cross or Handa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, copper
- Bracelet/Ornament, Democratic Republic of the Congo, brass
- Cowrie shell belt, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Cloth or Madiba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, palm fiber
- Camwood pigment or Tukula, Congo, wood
- Neck ornament, Cameroon, brass
- Knife, Democratic Republic of the Congo, metal and wood
- Spear or Liganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo area, metal
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Although the display case mentioned that some of these currencies were used in the context of human trafficking during the transatlantic slave trade, a research-creation project carried out by artist Stanley Wany during his residency at the Redpath Museum (2024鈥�2025) revealed a significant lack of contextualisation regarding the appropriation of the cultural heritage of African peoples by colonial powers, and its subsequent exploitation and instrumentalization as a currency of exchange in the human trafficking trade.
The removal of these objects reflects a desire to address the ethical and memorial issues raised by their exhibition, particularly in light of their connection to colonial history and human trafficking.
Tsantsas and the Tourism Market
(2004鈥�2021)
The display case featuring a tsantsa (from Peru or Ecuador) associated with the tourism market was part of the permanent exhibition from 2004 to 2021. However, it appears that it had been on display at the museum for much longer. Morphological analysis suggests that this tsantsa was made from a monkey鈥檚 head and was likely prepared using traditional techniques with the intention of being sold as a souvenir.
The tsantsa was removed from the exhibition because, although it is presumed to have been created for tourist purposes, it is still possible that it contains human remains (such as hair). Furthermore, studies conducted to date have not definitively established its cultural affiliation. Therefore, it is still impossible to determine whether it was made by a Shuar or Achuar person or by someone from outside the indigenous community who had mastered the traditional manufacturing methods.
The exhibition explored the complex system of spiritual beliefs surrounding tsantsas, as well as the techniques used to make them. It also presented the historical context in which Western tourists鈥� fascination with 鈥渆xotic curiosities鈥� created a thriving market for tsantsas.
By the end of the 19th century, demand from tourists had grown so much that the Indigenous peoples who made them, as well as non-Indigenous producers, began creating tsanstas for sale.
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