Social Science
We Are Coming Home
"I brought a sacred headdress to an aaawaahskataiki (ceremonial grandparent) of the women's Maotoki society. Before leaving the museum, I had stuffed the headpiece with acid-free tissue, carefully folded the trailer around more tissue, and placed the entire piece in an acid-free archival box, padding out space with yet more tissue. When I brought the package into the elder's home, she gased with horror. The tissue was rapidly discarded and the headdress was rolled tightly, wrapped in a cloth, and secured with twine. It was, in fact, swaddled, much the way a newborn baby is enclosed for care and protection. Here, again, was an alternative way of understanding what these sacred objects are and how they should be cared for. Over time, I have also come to appreciate that the use fo these items is not detrimental to their well-being. In fact, their participation in ceremonies keeps them alive and vibrant."
