Colgate University and United Mexican States Strengthen Partnership

HAMILTON, N.Y., Jan. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On Sept. 23, 2024, Colgate completed the voluntary repatriation of 1,005 archaeological items of cultural heritage to the people of Mexico, adding to 67 pieces returned in 2023.

The transfer was arranged by the office of Consul General of Mexico in New York H.E. Jorge Islas López — which received the pieces at the consulate in New York City — and staff at the University Museums at Colgate, under the leadership of Rebecca Mendelsohn, co-director of University Museums at Colgate and curator of the Longyear Museum of Anthropology.

"This project reflects the deep respect and understanding between the Government of Mexico and Colgate University," says H.E. Jorge Islas López, Consul General of Mexico in New York (2019–2024). "We are proud to see this collaboration strengthen our shared commitment to preserving Mexico's rich history and honoring the millenary traditions kept alive by our Indigenous communities. We hope it inspires others to safeguard cultural heritage and broaden our collective understanding of history and museum practices."

The pieces — sculpture, pottery, and more — arrived at Colgate from various sources throughout the second half of the 20th century. Faculty used the collections as teaching aids. Repatriation underscores the Mexican people's right to control their cultural patrimony.

"It is with profound respect that Colgate University returns these items to their home country," Mendelsohn says, "with the understanding that they will be returned to as close to their communities of origin as possible."

An ambassador collection of more than 900 fragmentary pieces remains at Colgate for educational use, with the permission of the Mexican government and the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH), furthering understanding of Mexico's heritage and the importance of preserving and respecting it.

Mendelsohn explains, "The University Museums at Colgate believe that obtaining consent for the use of cultural items and their digital counterparts is a profoundly important step toward decolonizing our practices and redressing past harms inflicted by past museum collecting practices."

The Consul General's office, INAH, and Colgate launched their partnership in 2021, when Islas López contacted Mendelsohn to discuss pieces of Mexican cultural heritage housed at Colgate. The two agreed that the voluntary return of these items, which was also embraced by President Brian W. Casey and Provost and Dean of the Faculty Lesleigh Cushing, could open a new era of collaboration between the University and institutions in Mexico.

"Colgate's mission is to educate ethical and empathetic leaders for lives of service," says Cushing. "We teach these lessons in the classroom, and we look for opportunities to model them through our interactions with local, national, and international communities."

Since then, the University has hosted Islas López, members of his staff, and INAH deputy director for the Registration of Movable Archaeological Monuments Alejandro Bautista Valdespino, to review the collection and meet with campus community members. In January 2024, a Colgate delegation toured colleges and universities in Mexico, exploring opportunities for research partnerships and student exchange programs.

"I am grateful for the work — and goodwill — that everyone on campus and at the consulate has put into this project," says President Brian W. Casey. "I look forward to seeing our academic exchange continue in the months and years ahead."

Media Contact:
Gerardo Izzo Press - Consulate General of Mexico in New York
212-217-5841
[email protected]

SOURCE Colgate University