Moa bones and Leave No Trace

It has been interesting to follow the debate about people selling moa bones.  The archeologists talk about losing information about our history forever.  While I agree with this, I also think that there is something more behind this collection.  I have written before about souvenir hunters.  Items we take from the outdoors lose their context and become dusty clutter in our homes.  What does it say about our self-control when we can't leave things alone but have to own them and make them our property?

It seems different to me if a child collects some shells on a beach and learns to connect with places through making things out of natural objects, rather than someone taking our national heritage and using it for person financial gain.  Have a look at the article here and see what you think.
Chris North
Leave No Trace board member