Peabody Museum repatriates 119 sacred Native items to tribes
Published Date: 4/11/2025
Notice
Summary
Harvard’s Peabody Museum plans to return 119 cultural items, including sacred objects and funerary items, to Native American tribes and Native Hawaiian groups. These items, collected long ago, will be repatriated starting May 12, 2025. This respectful move honors cultural heritage and strengthens ties with the communities involved, with no costs mentioned.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Peabody to Return 119 Cultural Items
Harvard’s Peabody Museum intends to repatriate a total of 119 cultural items (including sacred objects, unassociated funerary objects, and objects of cultural patrimony) to affiliated Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations; repatriation may occur on or after May 12, 2025.
Official Determinations of Item Types and Affiliations
The Peabody Museum determined that the notice covers two unassociated funerary objects, 57 sacred objects, 49 objects of cultural patrimony, and 12 items that are both sacred and cultural patrimony; the notice states there is a reasonable connection between these items and the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Montana.
How Others Can Request Repatriation
Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization not named in the notice may submit a written request for repatriation showing by a preponderance of the evidence that they are a lineal descendant or culturally affiliated; competing requests will be resolved by the Peabody Museum, and joint requests are treated as a single request. Repatriation may occur on or after May 12, 2025.
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Harvard's Peabody Museum has finished checking a special item—a pair of beaded child's moccasins linked to the Sioux and Assiniboine Tribes. Starting May 12, 2025, these moccasins can be returned to the tribes connected to them. This is part of a law that helps return Native American cultural items to their rightful communities.
Next: 2025-06208, Notice of Inventory Completion: Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara, CA
The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History has finished checking its collection and found human remains linked to Native American tribes. Starting May 12, 2025, these remains can be returned to the tribes. This update affects the museum, tribes, and anyone interested in cultural heritage, with no costs mentioned.