Old Poisons, New Problems

Reviews / Votes

Old Poisons, New Problems, combines Native Peoples' perspectives on their pesticide contaminated collections with handbook style chapters covering everything from the 'how-to' of testing for pesticides, to specific information on pesticides likely to be found on museum collections, to working with teams of allied professionals in addressing the repatriation of contaminated cultural materials. This book is a must for anyone who deals with cultural materials that might have been treated with pesticides. -- Marian A. Kaminitz, Ethnographic Working Group Coordinator for International Council on Museums?Conservation Committee (ICOM-CC) This book is well written and very informative. As NAGPRA Committee Chairman for the four Nebraska Tribes, I know that this is what the Indian Tribes have been waiting for the past 14 years. Contamination of our Cultural Artifacts is one of the biggest problems we have faced since the passage of the NAGPRA Act. The Native American Tribes need to know what they are facing when it comes to the Repatriation of Artifacts and Human Remains in the various museums and collections agencies across the United States and the world. Nancy Odegaard and Alyce Sadongei's book will be our guide. -- David Lee Smith, NAGPRA Committee Chairman for the four Nebraska Tribes (Winnebago, Omaha, Santee, and Ponca) and Cultural Preservation Director With increasing indigenous involvement in the collection, handling, and repatriations of artifacts formerly held in museum archives, it's about time for Old Poisons, New Problems, which discusses the ins and outs of cultural materials contaminated by pesticides. * Museum News * It brings all of the pertinent information on contaminated cultural materials in museums to one place. This is also the first publication that I know of that provides multiple spot tests specifically developed for testing pesticide residues on museum artifacts. The way these tests were adapted for this use is ingenious! It truly is a resource for all museums that house cultural materials. I look forward to its publication so that I can use it. -- Scott Carrlee, Conservator, Alaska State Museums Arising from a project that began in 1998 by the Arizona State Museum Southwest Native Nations Advisory Board and various departments of the University of Arizona, Old Poisons, New Problems is the handbook developed for an important workshop held in March 2000. It contains a wealth of information on pesticides and the health issues related to their use on artifacts returned to Native communities, and sets the stage for addressing these issues amongst Native communities, museum staff, analytical and medical researchers, and public health professionals. An excellent beginning to addressing a problem that affects all people working in the cultural heritage field. -- Ruth Norton, Chief Conservator, The Field Museum Old Poisons, New Problems: A Museum Resource for Managing Contaminated Cultural Materials is a much needed introductory information resource for people working with Native American materials. It has a practical focus on the problems that have grown out of pesticide contamination that has occurred to items while being housed in museums. Giving practical advice from both the museum and the Native perspective, it should help people dealing with the issues. It is a starting point for understanding the complex and often scary problem, and the paths to finding ways to manage the difficulties. The book is full of in-depth collections of information that are currently dispersed in many different places including: charts of pesticides that were used in museums, synonyms of names, information on health hazards, spot tests for some heavy metal pesticides and much more. This much-needed resource fills an information gap. It will be of use to museum personnel, native communities, industrial hygienists, analytical scientists, medical personal and all others who are struggling to find ways to deal with the legacy of past pesticide practices in museums. -- Jessica Johnson, Fellow of the American Institute for Conservation Dedicated to a broad definition of the problems associated with the presence of contaminants on cultural property, it provides useful information for professionals with a wide variety of perspectives. . .the overall result is a book, which should spark discussion, disseminate a variety of points of view, and provide resources for further research on the topic. * Collections * The authors of Old Poisons, New Problems have written a book that sensitizes the reader to the issues faced by tribal members, and provides a massive amount of important information that will be invaluable for many years to come as the decontamination process is defined and proceeds. * Museum Anthropology * The authors demonstrate that effective dialogue requires representation from a broad group that includes conservators, First Nations, industrial hygienists, and chemists. The book also strives to equip the participants with the common language needed to enter into effective discussions around the use and repatriation of contaminated belongings... Numerous other resources included will ensure that Old Poisons, New Problems gathers little dust in museum labs. Overviews of analytical test methods, spot-testing instructions, history of the legislated use of pesticides in the United States and easy to read charts outlining characteristics, classification, and trade names of pesticides are but a few of the items which make this volume a solid resource. * Journal Of The Canadian Association For Conservation *