30859: From Raber Re: 30853: (news) Two Americans detained in Port au Prince (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: PM Raber <raber88@zoominternet.net>


Traveling with remains  was a common thing not even 10 years ago.  The man in 
charge of the bodies at the state university used to provide (and probably 
still does, unless the school now provides it) Haitian medical and other health 
field students with complete skeletons for (in the late 1990's) for 1000 
gourdes .  A skull only was 200 gourdes.Study groups would pool their money to 
purchase their study tools.   The cadaver caretaker (he also handled the bodies 
for disection)  would just boil a head or a full body, pick the soft tissues 
off,  and deliver fairly fresh but clean bones. Medical students in Haiti can 
describe the looks and the smell of his business.   I know 
research/medical-type people in the US who used to travel with skulls bought 
through Haitian  students.  Since 2001, all luggage arriving from Haiti is now 
x-rayed.  Who knows how many people used to travel with skulls before that. 
Real bones are very useful for various research, as a 3D reference and for 
studying anatomy.   Those two kids may have gotten some ill advice from people 
who in the past were able to travel with good quality, cheap bones.  Ever since 
this lady was caught with a mumified skull at the Florida airport,  I think 
that they have cracked down even more.  I don't know why they were arrested in 
Haiti.  This must be some sort of agreement with the US.  Within Haiti, there 
does not seem to be a taboo about acquiring skulls inside Haiti.  If there is a 
law about acquisition, it is completley ignored.    Maybe there is a law about 
leaving the country with bones.   The US has no federal law prohibiting people 
to acquire bones.  Some states do have such laws.  Usually they are there to 
protect historic Native American bones or old cemetaries..  In those states, 
people can obtain permits to acquire  remains.  Florida grants such permits to 
institutions of higher learning.

This is actually an area where Haiti could enter exportation. This is a niche 
market where Haiti can be competitive.  Adult black skulls and any children's 
skulls (infant and up) of average  quality cost around $600 US a skull.  Most 
of the skulls legally sold in the US are from Asian sources.  up to 1987 (when 
India outlawed exportation)  they were from India. Now they are from China. 
Those run around $300.  Full skelettons are 3-4 thousand dollars.  An arm with 
hand or the complete vertebral column only can be $500. One leg bone $75.  A 
little tiny bone in the wrist can be $5.  Chinese bones are of lower quality 
because they are dug out of the ground rather than processed while the body is 
still fresh.  The quality suffers.  For years, knowledgeable Americans 
travelled with Haitian bones.  They were high quality with usually full sets of 
teeth and no signs of past medical interventions. 
Today in Haiti, many bodies are abandonned by their families due to the cost of 
funerals.  They could be a source of bones for  such an industry just as they 
are a source for the Haitian medical students.  Of course the entire industry 
would need strict regulations but for  a country looking fo niche markets, that 
is one real (though macabre) possibility.