New Bedford Whaling Museum to Repatriate Sacred Native Artifacts
Published Date: 7/28/2025
Notice
Summary
The New Bedford Whaling Museum plans to return sacred cultural items to Native American tribes and Native Hawaiian groups, following important laws that protect these treasures. This means some special objects will go back to their rightful communities soon. No money changes hands, but the museum and tribes will work together to make it happen smoothly.
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Museum returns sacred items to tribes
The New Bedford Whaling Museum (Old Dartmouth Historical Society) will return certain sacred cultural items to Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The museum says no money will change hands and that it will work with the tribes and organizations to carry out the repatriation.
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