Who Owns Native Culture

by Brown

The practical and artistic creations of native peoples permeate everyday life in settler nations, from the design elements on our clothing to the plot-lines of books we read to our children. Rarely, however, do native communities benefit materially from this use of their heritage, a situation that drives growing resistance to what some denounce as "cultural theft."

Who Owns Native Culture? documents the efforts of indigenous peoples to redefine heritage as a proprietary resource. Michael Brown takes readers into settings where native peoples defend what they consider their cultural a courtroom in Darwin, Australia, where an Aboriginal artist and a clan leader bring suit against a textile firm that infringes sacred art; archives and museums in the United States, where Indian tribes seek control over early photographs and sound recordings collected in their communities; and the Mexican state of Chiapas, site of a bioprospecting venture whose legitimacy is questioned by native-rights activists.

By focusing on the complexity of actual cases, Brown casts light on indigenous claims in diverse fields--religion, art, sacred places, and botanical knowledge. He finds both genuine injustice and, among advocates for native peoples, a troubling tendency to mimic the privatizing logic of major corporations.

The author proposes alternative strategies for defending the heritage of vulnerable native communities without blocking the open communication essential to the life of pluralist democracies. Who Owns Native Culture? is a lively, accessible introduction to questions of cultural ownership, group privacy, intellectual property, and the recovery of indigenous identities.

Genres: Anthropology, Nonfiction, Sociology, Law, Social Justice, Folklore, Indigenous

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Liz Simmons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good writing about intellectual property in the context of indigenous cultures. Michael Brown is one of the leading scholars on this topic. His writing style makes it easy to understand what can be complicated issues. Using a variety of case studies, from the New Mexico state flag to aboriginal art in Australia, ethnobotany in the Amazon to sacred sites in the American West, Brown sheds light on the appropriation of indigenous culture and heritage, and investigates ways for protecting it and respecting indigenous cultures in the context of multi-cultural, democratic societies. Highly recommend to anyone interested in cultural heritage / indigenous / intellectual property issues.

[Teresa Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book on property and intellectual property issues in native cultural materials. Presents a lot of questions and few answers... just like the topic itself, I suppose.

[Flamingo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brown’s writing style made this very easy to understand as someone who has never engaged with this topic before. I especially appreciated the chapter “At The Edge of the Indigenous” for its thoughtful approach to Indigenous living outside of the glamorized, mystic view wider society still seems to hold of them.

[Diana McCutcheon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brown does a terrific job of confronting issues of heritage, culture, patrimony, repatriation, and concerns for the future.

[Scott Koestler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Required course reading. Addresses the question of ownership of culture and cultural knowledge. Brown investigates “parallels between sacred sites and intellectual property”, but expands the discussion to the issue of culture and cultural knowledge as exclusive property and how these are tied up with notions of ‘tradition’ and ‘heritage’ that have become resources that groups own and defend from competing interests.

[Cara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book consists mainly of anecdotes. Most of them are pretty informative, but some get excessively long.

[Noelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great, easy read full of tough issues. Brown gracefully deals with incredibly charged conflicts regarding native cultures around the world.

[Brieahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone interested in exploring Native Appropriation issues this is a great jumping off point.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating study of the issues surrounding native cultural appropriation and protection. Asked tough questions without being patronizing. My last reading for grad school!!