Peabody Museum Identifies Remains for Native Tribes' Repatriation
Published Date: 3/17/2025
Notice
Summary
Harvard’s Peabody Museum finished checking its collection and found that some human remains belong to Native American tribes and Native Hawaiian groups. This means the museum will work with these communities to return the remains respectfully. If you’re connected to these tribes, keep an eye out for updates on how and when the remains will be returned.
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Repatriation of Native human remains
Harvard’s Peabody Museum completed an inventory under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and found that some human remains are culturally affiliated with Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. The museum says it will work with those communities to return the remains respectfully. The remains were collected from the Fort Mohave Indian School (Mohave County, AZ), the Pawnee Indian Reservation (Pawnee County, OK), and the Sherman Institute (Riverside County, CA); affiliated tribes and organizations should watch for updates about how and when returns will occur.
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Previous: 2025-04177, Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
The University of Alabama at Birmingham finished checking its collection of Native American human remains and related items. They found a clear connection between these remains and certain Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian groups. This means the university is ready to return these items to the right communities, following important laws that protect Native heritage.
Next: 2025-04179, Notice of Inventory Completion: Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Harvard’s Peabody Museum just finished checking its collection of human remains and found they belong to Native American tribes and Native Hawaiian groups. This means the museum will work with these communities to return the remains respectfully. If you’re part of these tribes or groups, keep an eye out for updates—this process respects culture and history without any cost to the public.