ISEE Meeting session on pesticide risks

I think this meeting would be of interest not only the the museum
people on the list but anyone who handles Native American and other
artifacts which may have been treated in the past with pesticides.

    ISEE Meeting--Special Session
    Pesticide risks and repatriated Indian artifacts

    Join us for a special session on pesticide risks and repatriated
    Indian artifacts August 22 from 2:30 to 6:00pm during the ISEE
    meeting August 19-23, 2000 in Buffalo, NY.  See
    <URL:http://www.phoenixworkgroup.com/isee2000> for more
    information about the whole ISEE conference, and
    <URL:http://www.specialevents.buffalo.edu/ISEE2000> for
    registration information.  For those attending only this session
    there is a special 1 day registration fee of $100.

    The title of the session is "Repatriation of Sacred Indian
    Artifacts Treated with Pesticides and other Chemical
    Preservatives: Health Risks to Users and to Conservators." In
    the ISEE program it is listed under Abstract #760, with a
    shorter title, "Symposium Overview--Pesticides, Indians, and
    Artifacts"  We meet in Ballroom B in Adams Mark Hotel in
    downtown Buffalo, and hope to see you there.

    Topics to be covered and planned speakers

    2:30 Introduction of CoChairs Micah Lomaomvaya, The Hopi Tribe
    and David Goldsmith, George Washington University (GWU)

    2:35 Invocation Ceremony

    2:45 The Indian perspective on repatriation and pesticides:
    Leigh Kuwanwisiwma, The Hopi Tribe

    3:00 Toxicity and risks of exposure to preservatives such as
    arsenic, mercury compounds, DDT and other chemicals: David
    Goldsmith, GWU

    3:15 The life of sacred objects through Indian eyes, description
    of uses of repatriated Indian ceremonial items, including ages
    of users and amount of handling: Micah Lomaomvaya The Hopi Tribe

    3:30 Description of uses of Canadian native peoples' sacred
    items: Morgan Baillargeon, Canadian Museum of Civilization Hull,
    Quebec, Canada

    3:45 Break

    4:00 Current prevention strategies for use of treated sacred
    objects--focus on Indian children and elders:    Jim Pepper
    Henry, National Museum of American Indians/Smithsonian
    Institution

    4:15 US EPA's role in assessing pesticide health effects among
    tribal members: Ana Maria Osorio, U.S. Environmental Protection
    Agency

    4:30 Current health studies among U.S. museum employees: Ed
    Burroughs, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

    5:45 International museum and native peoples' joint research and
    prevention activities: Lisa Goldberg, Consultant and Catharine
    Hawks, GWU

    5:00 Roundtable--Given the sensitivity and cultural importance
    of repatriated ceremonial objects in U.S. and other nations,
    what needs to be done next, including communicating the risks?
    Leigh Kuwanwisiwma, The Hopi Tribe, Katherine Makos, Smithsonian
    Institution and David Goldsmith, GWU

    Background: In the U.S. repatriation of Indian ceremonial
    artifacts from public and private collections has begun.  The
    ceremonial objects have been preserved with pesticides and
    antimold agents, including arsenic, mercuric chloride, DDT,
    strychnine, tobacco, and naphthalene.  Indian communities are
    concerned about the safety and health of handling these objects
    (especially risks to Native children and elders); and museum
    staff and scientists seek guidance about workplace toxicity and
    prevention. Purposes  This session is designed to introduce this
    issue to the environmental and occupational health disciplines.
    A further rationale will be to offer opportunities for
    presentations by Indian health leaders, by museum health
    specialists, and pesticide researchers.  We hope to foster
    international awareness of the issues in this session relevant
    to both museum and conservation staff as well as native
    communities.

    David F. Goldsmith, MSPH, PhD
    Department of Environmental & Occupational Health
    The George Washington University
    2300 "K" Street NW, Suite 201
    Washington DC 20037 USA
    202-994-1734
    Fax: 202-994-0011
    eohdfg [at] gwumc__edu
    <URL:http://www.OccupationalEpi.com>






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                  Conservation DistList Instance 14:14
                  Distributed: Friday, August 18, 2000
                       Message Id: cdl-14-14-021
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