r/Museums

Hello, I posted a similar question on the Ask Historians sub and was directed here, but essentially in my city (being vague as to not dox myself) there is a small museum that has a collection of items brought to the US by one of those turn-of-the-century explorer types. In the collection there is a shrunken head, supposedly real, and reportedly purchased in South America.

Whenever I visit I get so sad looking at the display with the head. All I can think about is how far away from home they are, and that they probably had loved ones who grieved them, and how degrading and low-key racist it is that they are on display right next to a bunch of big-game hunting trophies.

Ask History gave me some good information about connecting with organizations that are already doing repatriation work for shrunken heads, and I found multiple recent examples of US museums repatriating or at least removing shrunken heads from display, so I would like to reach out to the museum and share what I’ve learned and respectfully express my concerns / advocate for the head to be repatriate.

I am wondering if any museum directors or curators can lend insight into how might I be received? Is there anything I should be cognizant of before reaching out?

Thank you for your consideration.