The Waystation Initiative at UCLA advances ethical frameworks for the voluntary return and shared stewardship of cultural heritage through interdisciplinary research, education, and global partnership.
During the past two decades, attitudes regarding the ownership, stewardship, and interpretation of archaeological and ethnographic material have changed drastically and institutions as well as individuals are acknowledging the existence of the illegal trade in looted cultural objects and an often violent colonial collecting history. Museums and universities are now seeking to address unprovenanced items already in collections, to decolonize curatorial practices, and to return objects. At the same time, private individuals are increasingly aware that objects in their possession should rightly be in the hands of the people who created them.
The Waystation Initiative at UCLA is committed to advancing ethical stewardship and the voluntary return of international archaeological and ethnographic objects to their communities or nations of origin. Through collaboration, education, and advocacy, we support individuals, institutions, and communities to navigate the complexities of cultural heritage stewardship with integrity and respect. By fostering inclusive dialogue, developing best practices, and offering hands-on learning opportunities, The Waystation promotes restorative justice, decolonial practice, and sustainable partnerships rooted in mutual care and cultural responsibility.
The Waystation assists individuals, universities with collections, and small museums. It comprises a suite of programs and resources including a certificate for UCLA graduate students community engagement workshops, a broad stakeholder network, and the development and dissemination of new standards for the voluntary return of cultural objects. We also offer internship opportunities for highly qualified undergraduates.
Affiliated faculty and staff
- Stephen Acabado, professor of anthropology and chair of the Interdepartmental Archaeology Program
- Jason De León, professor of anthropology and Chicana/o studies, and director of the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at UCLA
- Lothar von Falkenhausen, professor of Chinese archaeology and art history
- Min Li, associate professor of Chinese archaeology
- Kristine Martirosyan Olshansky, director of the Armenian laboratory at the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology
- Vanessa Muros, director of the Experimental and Archaeological Sciences Laboratory at the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology
- Stella Nair, associate professor, Indigenous Arts of the Americas
- David H. Schneller, assistant professor, art history of the ancient Mediterranean
- Lyssa Stapleton, director of the Waystation Initiative and the certificate program
- Thomas Wake, associate adjunct professor of anthropology and director of the Zooarchaeology Laboratory
- Willeke Wendrich, professor emerita of Egyptian Archaeology and Digital Humanities
- Glenn Wharton, professor of art history and chair of the UCLA/Getty Interdepartmental Program in the Conservation of Cultural Heritage.
External Advisory Board
- Elizabeth Marlowe, Ph.D (Colgate University)
- Robert Mintz, Ph.D (The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco)
- Stephen Nash, Ph.D (Archaeology Southwest)
- Carla Sinopoli, Ph.D (University of New Mexico)
- Charles Stanish, Ph.D (University of South Florida)
- Miriam Stark, Ph.D (University of Hawai'i, Manoa)
- Glenn Wharton, Ph.D (UCLA)
- Jordan Wilson (member Musqueam First Nation), (University of British Columbia Museum of Anthropology)