Some objects have deep meaning for their source community. According to the World Intellectual Property Organization, “Traditional Cultural Expressions (or TCEs) are integral to the cultural and social identities of indigenous and local communities, embody know-how and skills, and transmit core values and beliefs.” The Native American Graves Repatriation Act (1990), or NAGPRA, protects Native American human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony. This law also legislates the return of remains and culturally significant objects to their communities of origin.
While laws concerning TCE vary from country to country, it can be unethical to digitize objects with specific religious connotations, cultural meanings, and significance.