CT Museum Returns Grave-Dug Red Ochre to Mohican Tribe
Published Date: 4/11/2025
Notice
Summary
The Bruce Museum in Greenwich, CT, has finished checking two Native American funerary objects linked to the Mohican and Lenape tribes. These items, red/orange ochre nodules taken from graves at Fort Ticonderoga before 1940, can be returned to the tribes starting May 12, 2025. This means the museum is ready to give these important cultural items back to their rightful Native communities.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Repatriation available beginning May 12, 2025
The Bruce Museum says two associated funerary objects (two natural, unground red/orange ochre nodules removed from graves at Fort Ticonderoga before 1940 and donated in 1940) can be returned to tribes. Repatriation of these objects may occur on or after May 12, 2025.
Museum finds cultural affiliation to Stockbridge Munsee
The Bruce Museum determined the two funerary objects are culturally affiliated with the Stockbridge Munsee Community, Wisconsin (Mohican and/or Lenape-Munsee people). The notice states the Stockbridge Munsee Community is a federally recognized Tribe of both Mohican and Munsee Lenape people.
Who may request repatriation and how
Written requests for repatriation may be sent to the Bruce Museum 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 in this notice who shows, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the requestor is a lineal descendant or culturally affiliated. The museum will consider competing requests and may determine the most appropriate requestor; joint requests are treated as a single request.
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