Filipino remains from the Smithsonian's controversial 'Racial Brains Collection' to be returned

The brains belonged to indigenous Filipinos who were brought to the U.S. for the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair as part of its human zoo.
Aug 18, 2023
Igorot brains to be returned by the Smithsonian
PHOTO: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History/Wikimedia Commons

The National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) in Washington are reportedly working together to bring home the Filipino remains stored in the latter's controversial "Racial Brains Collection," the Department of Foreign Affairs confirms.

This move was prompted by an extensive report from the Washington Post. The newspaper reviewed thousands of documents related to the collection, and talked to dozens of experts, key Smithsonian officials, as well as the descendants and their communities. Most of the human remains consisted of Black or indigenous people.

Here, reporters found out that the museum's collection houses the brains of people from at least 10 foreign countries. These include ones from Germany, the Czech Republic, South Africa, and, yes, the Philippines.

The remains were said to be collected between 1904 and 1941 by Ales Hrdlicka, a curator and then-head of the newly established Division of Physical Anthropology at the time. “The brains in particular were collected to support Hrdlicka’s early 20th-century racist beliefs that brains of white people were larger,” the Smithsonian noted in a separate interview.

An Igorot family at a human zoo in the U.S.

Igorots in a human zoo in the U.S.

Back in April, Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III issued a statement apologizing for the institution's racial collection. The museum was said to be developing new policies for such studies, and had even placed temporary restrictions on research on all human remains in its museums and the acquisition of any additional remains.

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓

“I know that so much of this has been based on racist attitudes, that these brains were really people of color to demonstrate the superiority of White brains, so I understand that is just really unconscionable,” Bunch told The Post. “And I think it’s important for me as a historian to say that all the remains, all the brains, need to be returned if possible, [and] treated in the best possible way.”

The said collection features brains from members of Filipino indigenous communities, who were brought to the U.S. for the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. The exposition is now widely considered by historians as a "human zoo" set in the backdrop of the problematic perspectives on race and imperialism at the turn of the 20th century.

"Smithsonian officials told The Post that, in addition to the four brains from the fair, the museum had collected the brains of 23 other Filipinos," the report added.

CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓
Watch Now

Putting the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904 in Context

The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, also known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was meant to promote entertainment, consumer goods, and foreign cultures. It was supposed to facilitate cross-cultural exchanges. Today, however, it's best remembered for its racist and imperialist themes, which would have enduring effects on history, anthropology, and art.

Some of the fair's elements would come to validate irrational beliefs of white superiority in many ways. Its most troubling aspect was, of course, the human exhibits, which included members of ethnic Filipino communities. Zoos may be a more appropriate term.

Some notes on the Bagobos at the racist fair.

A brochure about Bagobos

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓

An ad featuring the human zoo of Filipinos

World Fair St. Louis 1904

Just to put things in perspective: With the early 20th century came the treaty that ended the Spanish–American War. The Treaty of Paris was signed a few years prior, granting the United States power over Guam, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico. Filipinos fought U.S. annexation from 1899 to 1902 during the Philippine-American War but to no avail. The Philippines, as we know, would soon become an unincorporated territory of the U.S.

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓

And so people from America's territories ended up on display for the St. Louis World's Fair for everyone to see. Hence, the presence of a human exhibit on Filipinos. The Philippine reservation would cost about $1.1 million (around $35,827,407 in 2022) to build and operate. There were more than 1,000 Filipinos displayed at the fair, trafficked under horrible conditions. Among the most prominent of them were the Igorot and Bagobo, who were made to do choreographed ethnographic shows for the crowd. Some members of the communities, unfortunately, passed away on their way or at the exposition itself. No proper burial practices or funeral rites were granted.

Igorots (oddly enough) were photographed riding elephants as part of the Philippine exhibit.

Igorots at human zoo

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓

There had been no evidence of consent given for the collection and scientific use of their remains, as well. They had been lost to time. These days, their communities want the said remains back to provide their ancestors with a proper burial. This current predicament falls in the hands of the NMP.

"Most if not all museum institutions around the world have long discontinued such collections of human remains and, in recent decades, there has been a growing effort by concerned institutions to try to correct or remedy actions of the past that are today regarded as objectionable or worse," the NMP explained in a statement.

The museum further stated: "In adherence with today's standards of ethical museum practice, the NMP accepts and supports this effort of the Smithsonian NMNH to do the right thing and facilitate the return of the Filipino remains home as a way of rectifying this unfortunate situation."

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓

It's high time the Philippines gets these back, after all.

For more stories about life, visit Spin Life.

This story originally appeared on Esquire Philippines. Edits have been made by SPIN.ph editors.

Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph

Read Next
Watch Now
Sorry, no results found for
PHOTO: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History/Wikimedia Commons
  • POLL

    • Quiz

      Quiz Result