Illinois Museum Returns Mysterious Skunk Bone Artifacts to Native Tribes
Published Date: 11/18/2025
Notice
Summary
The Illinois State Museum finished checking two old funerary objects—skunk bones found in Illinois—and linked them to several Native American tribes. Starting December 18, 2025, these items can be officially returned to the tribes. This means respectful repatriation is on the way, with no costs or hazards involved.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Two Funerary Objects Linked to Tribes
The Illinois State Museum identified two associated funerary objects (two lots of skunk bones removed from Yokem Mound, Pike County, Illinois, in 1967) and determined they are reasonably affiliated with multiple Indian Tribes named in this notice. The notice names tribes including Citizen Potawatomi Nation; Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; Forest County Potawatomi Community (WI); Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska; Kaw Nation; Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians of Michigan; Miami Tribe of Oklahoma; Omaha Tribe of Nebraska; Otoe‑Missouria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians (MI and IN); Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; Ponca Tribe of Nebraska; Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation; Quapaw Nation; Sac & Fox Nation of Oklahoma; Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa; Shawnee Tribe; The Osage Nation; and Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. To the museum's knowledge, no hazardous substances were used to treat the objects, and the objects may be repatriated on or after December 18, 2025.
Who Can Request Repatriation and How
The notice says that repatriation requests may be submitted by any one or more of the Indian Tribes named in the notice, or by a lineal descendant or Indian Tribe not named who shows by a preponderance of the evidence that they are a lineal descendant or culturally affiliated. If competing requests are received the Illinois State Museum must determine the most appropriate requestor, joint requests count as a single request, and repatriation may occur on or after December 18, 2025.
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