Therein lies a serious question concerning the right of the museum to represent others. This question lies at the heart of the struggle for control over cultural identity, control which, Valiskakis argued, has been taken from Aboriginal peoples. How it's represented affects how we understand a people. We see Aboriginal culture in the way the dominant culture has chosen to represent it. And the easiest way to appropriate it is through material goods.
Appropriation is an issue of the control, ownership and coherence of images.
Indeed, the conference was marked by a good deal of agreement, and more discussion about the manner in which the museum appropriates than about how it preserves. It seems, however, that museums' sensitivity to Aboriginal peoples and their right to have a say in how their cultural heritage is presented is increasing. For instance, just this past January, Calgary's Glenbow Museum returned 251 sacred objects to their rightful Aboriginal owners. Thomas has explored the Museum of Civilization's photo archives, and combined historical photos with the work of contemporary First Nations artists, to create an exhibition that reflects an important record of Aboriginal heritage that doesn't depend on the appropriation of sacred objects. Thus it may still be possible for museums to educate and preserve without appropriating.