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Part 1

The film, Genesis 2.0, made by Christian Frei, gives viewers an inside scoop into the

world of modern-day science and how both archaic and brand-new forms of collecting clash and

work together towards a common goal. The film is almost split in half as the documenters follow

a group of wooly mammoth tusk hunters in New Siberia and the technology-driven geneticists

whose mission is to produce a wooly mammoth clone. These hunters perform ancient methods of

collecting; they carry most, if not all, their belongings on long voyages across desert plains,

searching for small fossilized mammoth ribs or other bones peeking up from underneath the soil.

Upon this sighting, they dig picks in the ground, or in some cases, a jackhammer. The group of

hunters are most equivocal to what Strasser refers to as naturalist collectors. Strasser says this

about Naturalists, "Although their collecting practices took extreme diverse forms, the key

challenge of collecting, and of establishing a collection, remained the same over time: how to

bring spatially dispersed objects to a central location and make them commensurable" (Strasser,

p. 313) Regardless of whatever ancient method the group chooses to locate mammoth tusks, at

the end of the day, they are bringing separated objects together into one group while remaining

in the field for the entire season, which makes them Naturalist collectors. In one part of the film,

Spira strikes part of a perfectly untouched mammoth carcass with a pickaxe, causing the corpse

to ooze a blood-like substance. Immediately, Spira and his fellow tusk hunters' reaction was to

grab a vile and try to bundle up as much of the substance as they could (Genesis 2.0, 0:56:45).

Spina's group performed this task in the 'name of science,' which they all say when disturbing a

mammoth grave, something believed to be taboo (Genesis 2.0, 1:01:45). This vile is then

transported to a lab where researchers will enter it into their own collection and use it for further
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research. This method may not seem like collecting, but the data that comes from the blood of

the carcass is crucial to scientists' more extraordinary database collection. 

           While these hunters may be chasing profit by collecting tusks, researchers are almost

certain to receive all the credit when a particular discovery occurs. For starters, when the

mammoth blood was discovered, only one of the news headlines featured in the film was on the

specific discovery; the rest of the headlines focused on what researchers and science will do with

the sample(Genesis 2.0, 1:02:00). This fallacy echoes what Strasser believed to be one of the

curses of naturalist collectors and their work: the perceived value (Strasser, p.313). The

insignificance of naturalists' collections stems from the impressive work done in a laboratory

compared to the leisurely activity of collecting, which people view as an easy activity.

Regardless, for many reasons, naturalist collectors such as the tusk hunters are often forgotten

when giving credit to some of science's best discoveries. 

           Every character shown throughout the film plays a highly different role and is motivated

by unique things. The Bio Genome project, whose goal is to digitize every genome on earth, has

a long series of players that impact science, whether they are aware of it or not (Genesis 2.0,

1:39:45). Simyeon Grigoriev, head of The Mammoth Museum, serves an exciting role as both a

field collector and a researcher. In the film, he is shown crawling through a small opening to get

to a cave lined with ice crystals to collect a sample of a young mammoth(Genesis 2.0, 1:20:30).

In another instance, Simyeon reflects on his team's finding of the most preserved mammoth ever

recorded, saying, "It is difficult to put into words… This is the most important discovery in

decades" (Genesis 2.0, 1:00:02). Simyeon's motivation to collect mammoth samples to

eventually lead to a fully cloned mammoth is what drives his research both in and outside of the

field. Although Simyeon may be motivated by outstanding contributions towards the project and
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science, the thrill of discovery and advancement is not what drives all collectors to the field.

Money is constantly on the mind of tusk hunters; the film portrayed one of them using a satellite

phone to call in the price of ivory to see how much they could make (Genesis 2.0, 0:41:56). Frei

says this about the hunters, "they dream about buying a new fridge, or just a new TV" (Genesis

2.0, 1:17:18). When life is this hard for these workers, it is infeasible for them to worry about

genomics and collecting genetic data. Another interesting player in the process is George

Church, a famous molecular engineer and geneticist, trying to achieve the impossible by cloning

a mammoth in a Harvard laboratory. While his work is invaluable to science, he has been able to

generate motivation and opportunities for others throughout the process by using his influence.

His support of the younger generation has been tremendous and is one of the catalysts for the

Genetically Engineered Machine Competition, a competitive stage for young minds to synthesize

biology (Genesis 2.0, 0:25:00). Church's impact is responsible for so much within the project,

but it would still be impossible to exist without the help of field collectors and researchers alike. 

     Given the long and recent history of Chinese science, BGI stands as a valuable asset to China

in determining the world's fundamental problems. China's history of science and collecting

follows significant issues or changes throughout the world. China's solution to most problems in

the world is an approach that involves aggregating data to create a centralized information state

to understand further what is at stake. A great example of this is the Miao Albums. After the

Ming dynasty fell to the Qing, many Manchu representatives set out on a mission to collect

essential data on what they considered ethnic minorities in the citizens residing in the area of the

previous Ming Dynasty. One way this data was collected was in the form of a painting, which

belonged to the Miao Albums as a whole, which Qing provincial governors could apply to

understand the people on their land better. The BGI project's purpose is very similar to the
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purpose of the Miao albums hundreds of years ago. BGI accesses every possible aspect of all

species down to a molecular level; the BGI project stands as the most critical tool in the world

when developing an understanding of other species. Furthermore, the BGI project provides

China with the means of centralizing information so that Chinese researchers can better

understand the genes and cellular structure that make every creature on earth unique. Not only

does the project allow for a greater understanding, but it can also help to solve real-world

problems, such as genetic diseases. This upside value in genomics is present in Soonam Lab's

"Gene Museum." The Gene Museum is a place where data is displayed showing how many

samples of a mothers' blood the company tests per day and how many of the samples showed

that their child would have a predisposed genetic disease (Genesis 2.0, 1:35:41). This

information is invaluable for the world because it gives mothers and doctors a chance to save

their children and provide the proper care for something that would have otherwise gone

unnoticed. China's accumulation of data towards the BGI project represents a process that has

been played out over centuries but has allowed China to emerge as a force for global change and

big data. 

The possible advantages of de-extinction in today's society are grossly misrepresented

throughout the film Genesis 2.0. While de-extinction is becoming more of a possibility with the

technology that exists, it still presents a danger for the species and the ecological system as a

whole. For starters, de-extinction is not at all guaranteed. A repeated claim throughout the film

was that researchers needed "one living cell" for the process even to begin to take place(Genesis

2.0, 1:19:15). For some species, this is a possibility; however, the chances of finding a living cell

from an extinct species is extremely difficult, as per the case with wooly mammoths. 
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The film is so focused on the benefits of new technology and de-extinction that it never

addresses the morbid reality of why many species go extinct in the first place: humans. Bringing

a species back to life would require the species to tread with meager population numbers for

decades until the population could reach normal levels. Minteer says, "The desire to collect

voucher specimens to verify the reappearance of species presumed extinct can be heightened by

the recognition of the organism's rarity, as in the case of private individuals seeking to own and

display rare animal specimens for their perceived scarcity and thus value" (Minteer, 260). This

notion presents an unfortunate outcome where scientists can successfully repopulate an extinct

species only to have it killed off by humans looking to display a rare creature. 

Finally, de-extinction can create vast ethical concerns that affect everyone. This topic is

addressed by one of the group members, who begs the question of whether or not the growing

interest in genetic sequencing is becoming an ethical issue for insurance companies who may be

more interested in the client's genetic sequence than the actual client. To this, the representative

smiles and informs the man that they can use their technology to screen for all birth defects and

prevent them entirely (Genesis 2.0, 1:38:30). While this may not be directly related to de-

extinction, de-extinction could not exist without genetic sequencing; thus, introducing the world

to de-extinction also requires opening the world to genetic sequencing. Not to mention, the

nature of de-extinction requires scientists to play the "role of god" and create artificial life, which

is surrounded by ethical dilemmas. All in all, the world needs to consider the full impact of de-

extinction rather than a misrepresented view of the benefits and the future. 

 
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Part 2

Louis Situwuka Shotridge aimed to enlighten all and played a pivotal role in providing

society with a better understanding of native culture. Shotridge was born into a high-ranking

family of the Kluckwan tribe; his grandfather was the esteemed Tlingit noble Tschartritsch and

his father, Yeilgooxu, served as a custodian to the whale house (Seaton, p. 37). Shotridge spent

his life chasing his dreams of pursuing the modernity of western society with the artifacts of his

native world. When Shotridge's wife, Florence, was selected to demonstrate Chilkat weaving at

The Louis and Clark Centennial Exposition in Portland in 1903, he excitingly followed and

brought his Kluckwan artifacts for display and some for sale (Seaton, p.43). At the Exposition,

he met George Byron Gordon, the Curator of American Archeology at the University Museum of

Pennsylvania, advertising himself as the man Gordon may be looking for (Seaton, p.43/45).

Upon greeting Gordon, Shotridge boasts that he "can secure the very best of everything there

is…and I am the only one to get them too" (Seaton, p.45). From the beginning, Shotridge had the

drive to be more than just an average tribesman and see more parts of the world than what his

tribe knew in Alaska. He became an educated collector and curator of northwestern artifacts for

the University of Pennsylvania Museum in Philadelphia(Seaton, p.37) throughout his life. Most

notable about Shotridge was not the fact that he was native in a western world, but rather that he

was a uniquely successful and impactful native in a western world. He used his position to

benefit both the world of the west and the native tribes through educational and delineation

means. Seaton writes, "Shotridge's position is distinguished by his unprecedented long-term

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employment with a museum. In this respect, he served as both a proxy for a white cultural

institution and representative of nativeness" (Seaton, p.37). 

Shotridge made attempts to collect almost anything that encapsulated native culture and

successfully collected many and portraying many successful collections. One of Shotridge's first

collections was through a request from Gordon to collect horn spoons, copper masks, baskets,

knives, and pipes (Seaton, p.45). Shotridge was able to collect this through networking within his

tribe, not to mention that many of the artifacts came from his family or belonged to him(Seaton,

p.45). However, it is worth noting that some of the items that Shotridge was credited for bringing

forth to society were viewed as stolen by his own native people. Such is the case with the

Kanguanton Shark Helmet, which Shotridge removed from the possession of elderly

women(Seaton, p.53). Shotridge admitted that while part of him rejoiced in bringing such an

essential ethnographic artifact to the Museum, the other part could not help but feel like a traitor

(Seaton, p.53). Regardless of the ethnical technicalities of Shotridge's peculiar life, the collector's

work for the Museum shed vital light on the Native tribes of the Northwest for all of society to

see. 

Although Shotridge's most successful accomplishment may be his matching of the

world's curiosity of the Northwest with authentic ethnographic artifacts, his aspirations stretched

much further. It is worth noting that the life Shotridge wound up living was very different than

what anyone could have expected, leaving their tribe for the real world at such a young age.

Shotridge spent his life as the "middleman" for both whites and Natives, never fully belonging to

one or the other. While he was born a native, his role as a sort of informant to the Museum forces

him to create distance between him and his people so he can "exploit the profits of ethnographic

knowledge and artifact" (Seaton, p.51). This background information is crucial in understanding
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his motivations for being in a position that brings great pain to one's personal life. Furthermore,

Shotridge's position has allowed him to see the vast differences in both cultures. Even though he

may never fully belong to either culture, he still longs for a world where both societies are

equal. The Sun, a newspaper, wrote: "In his travels, Mr. Shotridge has paid much attention to

modern business methods and his highest ambition is to return home and by advice, example to

establish his people in a position where they can compete on equal terms with the whites who are

over-running this county" (Seaton, p.49). Despite the growing distance he felt between himself

and his people, he understood the dire need for them to catch up, especially after witnessing the

benefits of such a society. The transition from a simplistic, rural lifestyle had given him the tools

to create the change he wanted to see in the world, and he was making every effort to use those

same tools on his people.

While Shotridge had motivations for his native people back home, he also had desires for

the western world and their interpretation of his culture as time goes on. One of his biggest goals

was that by collecting and displaying Kluckwan and other native cultures, he could help to

educate the entire world on northwestern culture. One of his most credited works in the Museum

is the Northwest Coast Exhibit: a model Kluckwan village put on display at the University of

Pennsylvania Museum (Seaton, p.46). Unlike most of the artifacts discussed previously, the

exhibit featured a wide variety of objects placed in the context of Native culture. In other words,

Shotridge was able to take ethnographic artifacts and add more ethnographic value towards them

through a means of display. Louis Shotridge's work as a collector and representative to the native

people was invaluable and motivated by his desire to be the change he wanted to see between

different societies.
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The North American Grave Protection and Reparation Act, or NAGPRA, provides the

building blocks for repatriating artifacts and restoring many collections to their rightful owners.

Whether or not museums should return artifacts to their appropriate holders is the cause of great

debate throughout the world. Each artifact is different from the other, and all artifacts are bound

by legalities that may prevent any transfer of ownership. One of the fundamentals of NAGPRA

is that it makes information about Native artifacts held in museums widely available (Graham et

al. Murphy p.106). The law also gives a formal classification to objects; these classifications are

human remains, funerary objects, cultural patrimony, and sacred objects (Graham et al. Murphy

p.106). Classifying such objects was always thought to have been impossible due to the marginal

variety that separates each artifact from one another. However, this system has given way to a

formal evaluation process towards controversial American collections bound to museums. The

Tlingit people, in particular, are very thankful for this process. Their prized canoe, which

belonged to John Paul of the Deisheetan Clan, was the only one to survive a shelling and was the

tribe's only means of survival in the winter of 1883 (Graham et al. Murphy p.109). The prow

piece of this canoe is an eloquently crafted wooden beaver, which over decades was finally

transferred back to his people in October of 1999 (Graham et al. Murphy p.109). If it was not for

NAGPRA and its delegation, this ownership transfer might not have taken place. In terms of

ethicality, this gesture was correct. A prow piece that stood as a symbol for an entire civilization

stood worthless; when the Museum finally returned it, nearly half of the village gathered and

celebrated its arrival (Graham et al. Murphy p.110). Not only has NAGPRA been elemental in

the reclamation of artifacts, but also it has united many people with their culture while exposing

them to the bigger things in life. Surprisingly enough, many personal relationships developed

throughout the beaver prow piece story, and representatives of the Museum attended a funeral
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for one of the tribe's elders (Graham et al. Murphy p.110). While NAGPRA may have started as

an initiative to bring more fairness to the grounds of ownership, it has blossomed into a chance

for society to learn more and grow closer. 

While the underlying story behind many of his collections remains controversial,

Shotridge's collections should hold a valuable place in history, considering the time in which he

lived. Shotridge was born into a time where Darwinism was being used in all aspects of life,

explicitly translating to a competitive market that "rewarded quick adaptation" (Seaton, p.39). In

other words, people interacted more with their market than ever before, whether it be local or the

economy as a whole, which resulted in the most efficient users seeing the most significant

benefit. Shotridge being born into such a period meant that more people than ever before would

be drawn to artifacts derived from his people, as long as they had authenticity and were

undisturbed "by the impurities of progress" (Seaton, p.39). The added desire alone is not what

drove Shotridge into anthropological collecting. As discussed previously, he had an adamant

wish to better Native life and educate the world on his culture. One of his most noble collections,

in my opinion, was the Northwest Coast Exhibit because of its underlying goal in being placed in

the Museum: to educate. Spectators can see authentic ethnographic artifacts in the context of

their use in the homeland, which is more impactful than seeing the artifact for what it may be

worth to collectors. Shortridge's life was a battle of proving his cultures worth to a society, which

was so concerned about monetizing it, given the time period. While he did reap the rewards of a

monetized society in employment, he still centered his job around a better life for all. In the end,

he was successful in bringing many of these artifacts to light in the way he wanted them to be

opposed to the traditional western method of collecting and storing for value. Louis Shotridge
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should be remembered as someone who transcended the confinements for a Native at the time,

motivated by a better world for his people and everyone else.