Illinois Museum Completes Inventory for Tribal Repatriation
Published Date: 11/18/2025
Notice
Summary
The Illinois State Museum has finished checking its collection and found Native American human remains and special burial items linked to local tribes. These remains and objects, some dating back to 1961 and 2008, are ready to be returned to the tribes starting December 18, 2025. If you want to request repatriation, contact the museum soon—this is a big step in respecting Native heritage with no costs involved.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Two Individuals and 95 Funerary Objects Identified
The Illinois State Museum identified human remains representing at least two Native American individuals and 95 associated funerary objects. The items originate from Pike County sites (e.g., Stilwell II, Montezuma Mounds, Joe Gay Mound, Lawrence Gay Mound, Bedford Mound) and were removed or transferred between 1904 and 2017.
Repatriation Available Starting Dec 18, 2025
If you are a member of one of the Indian Tribes named in this notice or a lineal descendant, you may request repatriation of the human remains and funerary objects on or after December 18, 2025. Send written requests to Dr. Brooke M. Morgan, Illinois State Museum Research & Collections Center, 1011 East Ash Street, Springfield, IL 62703, or email [email protected].
Who May Request and How Competing Claims Are Handled
Repatriation requests may be submitted by any one or more of the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations named in this notice. A lineal descendant or an unlisted tribe may also request repatriation if they show by a preponderance of the evidence that they are affiliated. If competing requests are received, the Illinois State Museum must determine the most appropriate requestor; joint requests are treated as a single request.
No Hazardous Treatments Reported on Items
The notice states that, to the Illinois State Museum's knowledge, no hazardous substances were used to treat the human remains or funerary objects described in this notice. This information applies to the items removed between 1904 and 2017 and inventoried in this notice.
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