The Potential Future Trends in Native American Repatriation
The recent closures and cover-ups of Native American ancestral displays in museums across the United States have brought attention to the ongoing issue of repatriation. Major revisions to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) have sparked these actions, as institutions are now required to inventory their collections, seek consent from tribes, and follow clear timelines for repatriation. This article will analyze the key points of this text and explore potential future trends related to these themes.
1. Increased Repatriation Efforts
The new regulations under NAGPRA are expected to lead to increased efforts in repatriating Native American ancestors and cultural objects. Museums are now legally obligated to inventory their collections, seek consent from tribes, and follow specific timelines for repatriation. This will likely result in the return of a significant number of items that were previously on public display.
2. Collaboration with Native Nations
The revised regulations emphasize collaboration with Native nations throughout the repatriation process. Museums are now required to consult tribes and obtain “free, prior, and informed” consent before conducting research, accessing or exhibiting native items. This collaboration will not only ensure a respectful and accurate representation of indigenous culture but also facilitate public education in collaboration with native nations.
3. Financial Support from National Park Service
Recognizing the costs associated with consultation, inventory development, and repatriation, the National Park Service has allocated funds to support museums and tribes. Grants amounting to .4 million were awarded last year, including nearly 0,000 to the Rochester Museum and Science Center. This financial support will aid institutions in fulfilling their obligations under NAGPRA.
4. Penalties for Noncompliance
Museums that fail to comply with the revised regulations can incur penalties exceeding ,000, with additional penalties accumulating per day of noncompliance. These penalties aim to enforce accountability and encourage institutions to prioritize repatriation efforts.
5. Emotional Labor and Cultural Impact
It is essential to acknowledge the unpaid emotional and cultural labor involved in the repatriation process. Tribal officials and Native communities are actively seeking the return of ancestral bodies and cultural objects, some of which were previously treated with toxic pesticides and preservatives by museums. This underlines the importance of approaching repatriation with sensitivity and respect.
Predictions and Recommendations
Prediction 1: Increased Focus on Restorative Justice
As more items are repatriated, there will likely be a growing emphasis on restorative justice. Museums and institutions will need to develop long-term relationships with indigenous communities beyond the return of objects. This may involve supporting cultural revitalization initiatives, collaborating on research projects, and addressing historical trauma through public education.
Prediction 2: Advancement in Digital Engagement
With the removal of Native American ancestors and cultural objects from public display, museums may turn to digital engagement strategies to continue educating the public about indigenous cultures. This may include virtual exhibitions, interactive online platforms, and educational programs that emphasize the importance of repatriation and cultural preservation.
Recommendation 1: Prioritize Proper Documentation
Museums should ensure proper documentation of repatriated items, including detailed records of their origins, cultural affiliation, and associated rituals. This documentation will preserve the historical significance of these objects and provide valuable information for future research and education.
To facilitate a successful repatriation process, museums should actively seek collaboration with indigenous tribes and nations. This includes involving tribal representatives in decision-making processes, incorporating their perspectives in exhibition design, and fostering ongoing relationships beyond repatriation.
“Will the museum still be invested in the community when the objects are gone? I’m curious about that.” – Nicholas Galanin
In conclusion, the revisions to NAGPRA have prompted significant changes in how museums approach the repatriation of Native American ancestors and cultural objects. The increased focus on collaboration, accountability, and restitution reflects a positive shift towards rectifying historical injustices. By predicting future trends and providing recommendations, museums can embrace these changes and work towards building respectful relationships with indigenous communities while preserving cultural heritage for future generations.
References:
ARTnews. “A New Era of Restitution and Repatriation.” ARTnews, ARTnews.com, 7 Feb. 2023, www.artnews.com/series/new-era-of-restitution-repatriation/.
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The Future of Technology: Potential Trends and Recommendations for the Industry
Technology has been rapidly advancing, transforming various industries and reshaping our daily lives. As we look ahead, it is essential to examine the key points and potential future trends that will continue to revolutionize the tech industry. In this article, we will delve into these themes, providing insight and predictions for what lies ahead.
1. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI has already made significant strides in recent years, and its impact is only set to grow. From voice assistants like Siri and Alexa to autonomous vehicles, AI is becoming increasingly integrated into our lives. In the future, we can expect AI to continue advancing in areas such as healthcare, customer service, and finance.
One potential trend in AI is the rise of explainable AI, which focuses on making AI systems more transparent and understandable. This development will address concerns surrounding bias and ethical implications. Additionally, AI-powered personalization will become more sophisticated, providing hyper-personalized experiences based on individual preferences and behaviors.
Recommendation: To stay relevant in the AI space, companies should invest in research and development for explainable AI frameworks. They should prioritize ethical considerations and prioritize user privacy in their AI applications.
2. Internet of Things (IoT)
The IoT refers to the network of physical devices interconnected via the internet, enabling them to communicate and share data. This technology has seen significant growth, and it holds immense potential for the future.
In the coming years, IoT will expand beyond consumer applications, infiltrating various sectors such as agriculture, transportation, and manufacturing. Smart cities will become a reality, with connected infrastructure optimizing energy consumption, transportation systems, and waste management.
Furthermore, edge computing will play a pivotal role in the IoT landscape. With edge computing, data processing and storage occur closer to the source, reducing latency and improving efficiency. This technology will enable real-time decision-making within IoT devices.
Recommendation: Companies invested in IoT should focus on enhancing security protocols to protect sensitive data transmitted through interconnected devices. Continuous monitoring and regular security audits are essential to mitigate potential cyber threats.
3. Blockchain Technology
Blockchain technology gained prominence with the rise of cryptocurrencies, but its potential extends far beyond that. The decentralized and immutable nature of blockchain holds promise for various industries.
In the future, we will likely witness widespread adoption of blockchain in sectors such as supply chain management, healthcare, finance, and voting systems. Blockchain will provide transparency, security, and efficiency, eliminating intermediaries and reducing fraudulent activities.
Additionally, blockchain-based digital identities will become more commonplace, allowing individuals to have better control over their personal information while ensuring data integrity.
Recommendation: Companies exploring blockchain should focus on interoperability and scalability. Collaboration with industry peers and standardization efforts will drive adoption and unlock the full potential of this technology.
4. Privacy and Cybersecurity
As we become increasingly reliant on technology, privacy and cybersecurity concerns are at the forefront. With a growing number of data breaches and privacy scandals, individuals are demanding greater protection of their personal information.
In the future, there will be an increased emphasis on privacy technologies like differential privacy. This approach enables data analysis while preserving individual privacy by adding noise to the data and preventing re-identification of individuals.
Furthermore, advancements in encryption technologies and authentication frameworks will be crucial in safeguarding sensitive data.
Recommendation: Companies must prioritize user privacy by adopting a privacy-by-design approach. Implementing robust encryption algorithms, multi-factor authentication systems, and regular security audits will be essential for building trust and ensuring data protection.
Conclusion
The future of technology holds immense potential for innovation and transformation. From AI and IoT to blockchain and privacy, these key themes will shape the industry’s trajectory in the coming years.
To embrace the future successfully, companies should invest in research and development, prioritize ethics and privacy, enhance security measures, and collaborate with industry peers to drive standardization.
By staying ahead of the trends and implementing these recommendations, the tech industry can continue to revolutionize our lives while addressing critical challenges along the way.
Conservation teams in museums take great care of collection objects: their job can involve cleaning objects to get them ready for an exhibition, carefully installing them in a gallery display, or restoring them when they’ve suffered from the damages of time. But even when objects are sitting still behind a display glass, away from prying fingers or any exterior contamination, temperature and humidity are some of the invisible factors that conservators must keep in mind to preserve collection objects.
Getting environmental conditions right and to a consistent level is extremely important when caring for a collection. Too much humidity can create the perfect environment for mould to grow: too low, and objects can shrink and crack. The same can be said about temperature: if it rises too high, collections accelerate decay and wax objects can melt. On the other hand, in low temperatures objects can be put under stress and become brittle. For example, it is advised that most paintings require a stable environment at around 40-60% relative humidity (RH). For metals, a relative humidity of under 65% in a clean and dry environment is recommended, as moistures and salts can stimulate corrosion.
Coalbrookdale by Night painting by Philippe Jacques de Loutherbourg, 1801. The monitors track fluctuations in temperature and relative humidity so that conservators can make sure that this painting is kept between 40-60% RH.
To prevent this, regular monitoring of temperatures is necessary to keep an eye on any big changes. Conservators use a tool called an environmental monitor, or a Hanwell monitor: these are small data loggers that measure the relative humidity and temperature of a room. Hidden around the museum, they provide conservators with information that help keep our collection safe.
The monitors alert conservators to the environmental conditions of the room and, if necessary, changes can be made. For example, if the humidity in a showcase is too high, silica gel can be added to absorb excess moisture and make the humidity suitable for the collection.
Have you ever spotted one of our monitors in the museum’s display? This one is placed here for Conservators to monitor the relative humidity and temperature inside the display case.
This ensures that they give as accurate a reading as possible. Certain loan objects require more frequent monitoring – for example once a week or month, and the data is analysed and recorded.
The Science Museum has 99 monitors, and each one needs to be adjusted individually. This is done by putting the monitors into three different humidity calibration salt chambers (low, medium and high). These are left for one and half to two hours in each humidity chamber and the raw data recorded in Hanwell’s software system called EMS (Environmental Management System). Once the process is completed the monitor will be accurate to within 3 percentage points above or below and returned to its place in the museum.
Environmental monitoring is a small but essential part of the work done by the conservation team to preserve objects from our collection: you can find out more about other tasks carried by our conservators on our blog, from pest management to repairing and transporting fragile objects.
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Nadejda Sero, the founder of the R Ladies Cotonou chapter, shared with the R Consortium her experiences learning R, the challenges of running an R community in a developing country, and her plans for 2024. She also emphasized the importance of considering the realities of the local R community when organizing an R User Group (RUG).
Please share about your background and involvement with the RUGS group.
My name is Nadejda Sero, and I am a plant population and theoretical ecologist. I have a Bachelor of Science in Forestry and Natural Resources Management and a Master of Science in Biostatistics from the University of Abomey-Calavi (Benin, West Africa). I discovered R during my Master’s studies in 2015. From the first coding class, I found R exciting and fun. However, as assignments became more challenging, I grew somewhat frustrated due to my lack of prior experience with a programming language.
So, I jumped on Twitter (current X). I tweeted, “The most exciting thing I ever did is learning how to code in R!” The tweet caught the attention of members of the R Ladies global team. They asked if I was interested in spreading #rstats love with the women’s community in Benin. I was thrilled by the opportunity and thus began my journey with R-Ladies Global.
The early days were challenging due to the novelty of the experience. I did not know much about community building and social events organization. I started learning about the R-Ladies community and available resources. The most significant work was adjusting the resources/tools used by other chapters to fit my realities in Benin. My country, a small French-speaking developing African country, had poor internet access and few organizations focused on gender minorities. (We are doing slightly better now.) On top of that, I often needed to translate some materials into French for the chapter.
As I struggled to make headway, the R-Ladies team launched a mentoring program for organizers. I was fortunate enough to participate in the pilot mentorship. The program helped me understand how to identify, adjust, and use the most effective tools for R-Ladies Cotonou. I also gained confidence as an organizer and with community work. With my fantastic mentor’s help, I revived the local chapter of R-Ladies in Cotonou, Benin. I later joined her in the R-Ladies Global team to manage the mentoring program. You can read more about my mentoring experience on the R-Ladies Global blog.
Happy members of R-Ladies Cotonou sharing some pastries after the presentation. At our first official meetup, the attendees discovered and learned everything about R-Ladies Global and R-Ladies Cotonou.
I am grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of the R-Ladies community these last six years. I also discovered other fantastic groups like AfricaR. I am particularly proud of the journey with R-Ladies Cotonou. I am also thankful to the people who support us and contribute to keeping R-Ladies Cotonou alive.
Can you share what the R community is like in Benin?
R has been commonly used in academia and more moderately in the professional world over the past 2-3 years. For example, I worked with people from different areas of science. I worked in a laboratory where people came to us needing data analysts or biostatisticians. We always used R for such tasks, and many registered in R training sessions. The participants of these sessions also came from the professional world and public health. I have been out of the country for a while now, but the R community is booming. More people are interested in learning and using R in different settings and fields. I recently heard that people are fascinated with R for machine learning and artificial intelligence. It is exciting to see that people are integrating R into various fields. There are also a few more training opportunities for R enthusiasts.
Can you tell us about your plans for the R Ladies Cotonou for the new year?
More meetups from our Beninese community, other R-Ladies chapters, and allies.
We are planning a series of meetups that feature students from the training “Science des Données au Féminin en Afrique,” a data science with R program for francophone women organized by the Benin chapter of OWSD (Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World). We have three initial speakers for the series: the student who won the excellence prize and the two grantees from R-Ladies Cotonou. The program is an online training requiring good internet, which is unfortunately expensive and unreliable. If you want good internet, you must pay the price.
R-Ladies Cotonou supported two students (from Benin and Burkina Faso) by creating a small “internet access” grant using the R Consortium grant received in 2020.
The meetup speaker is taking us through a review of the most practical methods of importing and exporting datasets in R. The attendees are listening and taking notes.
This next series of meetups will focus on R tutorials with a bonus. The speakers will additionally share their stories embracing R through the training. The first speaker, Jospine Doris Abadassi, will discuss dashboard creation with Shiny and its potential applications to public health. I hope more folks from the training join the series to share their favorite R tools.
I believe these meetups will assist in expanding not only the R-Ladies but the entire R community. I particularly enjoy it when local people share what they have learned. It further motivates the participants to be bold with R.
About “Science des Données au Féminin en Afrique“, it is the first time I know that a data science training is free for specifically African women from French-speaking areas. Initiated by Dr. Bernice Bancole and Prof. Thierry Warin, the program trains 100 African francophone women in data science using R, emphasizing projects focused on societal problem resolution. The training concluded its first batch and is now recruiting for the second round. So, the community has expanded, and a few more people are using R. I appreciate that the training focuses on helping people develop projects that address societal issues. I believe that it enriches the community.
As I said in my last interview with the R consortium, “In some parts of the world, before expecting to find R users or a vivid R community, you first need to create favorable conditions for their birth – teach people what R is and its usefulness in professional, academic, and even artistic life.” It is especially true in Benin, whose official language is French. English is at least a third language for the average multilingual Beninese. Many people are uncomfortable or restrained in using R since most R materials are in English. I hope this OWSD Benin training receives all the contributions to keep running long-term. You can reach the leading team at owsd.benin@gmail.com.
Our other plan is to collaborate with other R-Ladies chapters and RUGS who speak French. If you speak French and want to teach us something, please email cotonou@rladies.org.
Otherwise, I will be working on welcoming and assisting new organizers for our chapter. So, for anyone interested, please email cotonou@rladies.org.
Are you guys currently hosting your events online or in-person? And what are your plans for hosting events in 2024?
We used to hold in-person events when we started. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and we had to decide whether to hold events online. Organizing online events became challenging due to Cotonou’s lack of reliable internet access or expensive packages. As a result, we only held one online event with poor attendance. We took a long break from our activities.
Going forward, our events will be hybrid, a mix of in-person and online events. In-person events will allow attendees to use the existing infrastructure of computers and internet access of our allies. It also offers an opportunity to interact with participants. Therefore, I am working with people in Cotonou to identify locations with consistent internet access where attendees can go to attend the meetups. Online events will be necessary to accommodate speakers from outside of the country. It will be open to attendees unable to make it in person.
Any techniques you recommend using for planning for or during the event? (Github, zoom, other) Can these techniques be used to make your group more inclusive to people that are unable to attend physical events in the future?
The techniques and tools should depend on the realities of the community. What language is comfortable for attendees? What meeting modality, online or in person, works best for participants?
As mentioned earlier, I was inexperienced, and organizing a chapter was daunting. My mentoring experience shifted my perspective. I realized that I needed to adjust many available resources/tools. Organizing meetups became easier as I integrated all these factors.
For example, our chapter prioritizes other communication and advertisement tools like regular emails and WhatsApp. The group is mildly active on social media, where the R community is alive (X/Twitter, Mastodon). It is easier to have a WhatsApp group to share information due to its popularity within our community. We recently created an Instagram account and will get LinkedIn and Facebook pages (with more co-organizers). I would love a website to centralize everything related to R-Ladies Cotonou. Using emails is an adjustment to Meetup, which is unpopular in Benin. Getting sponsors or partners and providing a few small grants for good internet would help tremendously our future online events.
Adjusting helps us to reach people where they are. It is imperative to consider the community, its realities, and its needs. I often asked our meetup participants their expectations, “What do you anticipate from us?” “What would you like to see in the future?” Then, I take notes. Also, we have Google Forms to collect comments, suggestions, potential speakers, contributors, and preferred meeting times. It is crucial to encourage people to participate, especially gender minorities less accustomed to such gatherings.
I have also attempted to make the meetups more welcoming and friendly in recent years. I always had some food/snacks and drinks available (thanks to friends and allies). It helps make people feel at ease and focus better. I hope the tradition continues for in-person meetups. It is valuable to make the meetups welcoming and friendly. How people feel is essential. If they come and feel like it is a regular lecture or course, they may decide to skip it. But, if they come to the meetup and learn while having fun, or at the very least, enjoy it a little, it benefits everyone.
These are some of the key aspects to consider when organizing a meetup. It is critical to consider the people since you are doing it for them. Also, make sure you have support and many co-organizers if possible.
All materials live on our GitHub page for people who can’t attend physical events. Another solution would be recording and uploading the session on the R-Ladies Global YouTube or our channel.
What industry are you currently in? How do you use R in your work?
I am now a Ph.D. student in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
R has no longer been my first programming language since I started graduate school. I still use R for data tidying data analysis but less extensively. I worked a lot with R as a master’s student and Biostatistician. It was constant learning and growth as a programmer. I had a lot of fun writing my first local package. However, I now work more with mathematical software like Maple and Mathematica. I wish R were as smooth and intuitive as this software for mathematical modeling. I like translating Maple code to R code, especially when I need to make visualizations.
I am addicted to ggplot2 for graphs. I love learning new programming languages but am really attached to R (it’s a 9-year-old relationship now). I developed many skills while programming in R. R helped me become intuitive, a fast learner, and sharp with other programming languages.
My most recent project that utilized R, from beginning to end, was a project in my current lab on the evolutionary strategies of plants in stochastic environments. We used R for demographic data tidying and wrangling. Data analysis was a mix of statistical and mathematical models. It was a good occasion to practice writing functions and use new packages. I enjoy writing functions for any task to automate repetitive tasks, which reduces the need for copying and pasting code. I also learned more subtleties in analyzing demographic data from my advisor and colleagues who have used R longer.
How do I Join?
R Consortium’s R User Group and Small Conference Support Program (RUGS) provides grants to help R groups organize, share information, and support each other worldwide. We have given grants over the past four years, encompassing over 68,000 members in 33 countries. We would like to include you! Cash grants and meetup.com accounts are awarded based on the intended use of the funds and the amount of money available to distribute.
Potential Long-term Implications and Future Developments in Data Science Community Building
In a recent interview, Nadejda Sero, the founder of the R Ladies Cotonou chapter in Benin, West Africa, shared her experiences learning the R programming language and organizing a local R User Group (RUG). As part of the broader global R community, Sero has navigated the challenges of leading data science initiatives in a developing country and has set ambitious plans for the future.
As such, her story provides critical insights into contributing factors for successful community development and offers invaluable lessons to the broader data science community.
Lessons from the R Ladies Cotonou Experience
The experiences of Sero and the R Ladies Cotonou could pave the way for future growth of data science communities, particularly in developing countries. Their strategies on overcoming language and technological obstacles have proven successful and can provide a roadmap for others facing similar challenges.
The necessity of adapting resources to local needs is paramount. Sero has emphasized how improvising with available tools and adjusting them to suit local realities can be beneficial. This mindset could encourage other organizers to think creatively about their resources.
The effort to promote diversity and inclusive participation, particularly within gender minorities, is another noteworthy effort. It demonstrates that fostering an inclusive environment is central to a thriving data science community.
Finally, ensuring events are enjoyable and not just educational can boost attendance and involvement. A positive and fun atmosphere creates a more attractive community for potential members.
Future Developments: Bringing Data Science to More Communities
With data science as an increasingly sought-after skill across various industries, communities like R Ladies Cotonou serve a critical role in advancing technology inclusion, particularly in areas with limited resources. Initiatives that focus on local languages, such as French in Benin, can increase accessibility for non-English speakers and therefore broaden the reach of data science training.
Looking ahead, remote learning initiatives will likely continue to be a crucial part of community-building in data science. Good internet access is often an ongoing challenge, so strategies for boosting online participation will play an essential role in community growth. Hybrid events that mix in-person and online learning could be a promising solution.
Taking Action: Advice Based on These Insights
Based on the insights shared by Sero, here are some actionable steps relevant to anyone interested in establishing or developing a data science community:
Adapt resources to suit local conditions: Existing resources may not fit perfectly into every setting. Be prepared to customize them to suit the unique needs of the local community.
Promote inclusiveness: Exert deliberate efforts to create an inclusive environment that encourages participation from all sections of society, particularly those underrepresented in tech.
Make it fun: Create an engaging atmosphere where members do not just learn but can also enjoy themselves.
User-friendly online infrastructure: Considering the increasing reliance on remote participation, good online infrastructure should be a priority. This includes stable internet access and user-friendly platforms for online meetings.
Encourage voluntary involvement: Foster a sense of collective ownership by encouraging members to contribute freely. This can enhance community cohesion and sustainability.
In conclusion, community building in data science requires consideration of local realities, commitment to inclusive participation, creative use of resources, and strategic use of online platforms. By harnessing these insights effectively, budding communities can thrive and contribute to the broader goal of creating a diverse, global data science network.
