San Diego Museum Preps 3,000 Tribal Items Return
Published Date: 3/17/2025
Notice
Summary
The Museum of Us in San Diego has finished checking its collection and found human remains and over 3,000 related items linked to Native American tribes. Starting April 16, 2025, these remains and objects can be returned to the tribes. This update affects tribes connected to these artifacts and helps honor their heritage with no cost to the public.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Museum identified 2 remains and 3,081 objects
The Museum of Us completed an inventory and identified human remains representing at least two individuals and 3,081 associated funerary objects from Central Valley, California sites. The museum determined those remains and objects are culturally affiliated with the Ione Band of Miwok Indians of California and the Wilton Rancheria, and they may be repatriated on or after April 16, 2025.
Who may request repatriation
Repatriation requests may be submitted by: (1) any one or more of the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations identified in this notice; or (2) any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization not identified that shows by a preponderance of the evidence they are a lineal descendant or culturally affiliated. If competing requests are received, the Museum of Us must determine the most appropriate requestor; joint requests count as a single request.
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