Phoenix Museum Readies Return of Native Human Remains and Artifacts
Published Date: 11/18/2025
Notice
Summary
The Heard Museum in Phoenix has finished checking its collection and found human remains and special objects linked to Native American tribes. Starting December 18, 2025, these remains and items can be officially returned to the tribes. This is a big step in respecting Native cultures and making sure their history is honored properly.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Heard Museum Repatriation Date Set
The Heard Museum completed its NAGPRA inventory and identified human remains representing at least seven Native American individuals plus several associated funerary objects. Those remains and objects may be returned to tribes or eligible descendants on or after December 18, 2025.
Who Can Request Repatriation
The notice says requests for repatriation may be made by the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations identified in the notice, or by any lineal descendant or tribe that shows by a preponderance of the evidence a cultural affiliation. If competing requests are received, the Heard Museum will determine the most appropriate requestor, and joint requests are treated as a single request.
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