LA Museum Ready to Repatriate Ancestral Remains to Tribes
Published Date: 11/18/2025
Notice
Summary
The Autry Museum in Los Angeles has finished checking its collection and found human remains linked to Native American tribes. Starting December 18, 2025, these remains and related items can be returned to the tribes who are connected to them. This is a respectful step to honor Native American heritage, with no costs involved for the public.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Repatriation Available Starting Dec 18, 2025
Repatriation of one set of human remains and three associated funerary objects may occur on or after December 18, 2025. Written requests must be sent to Karimah Richardson, Associate Curator of Anthropology and Repatriation Supervisor at the Autry Museum of the American West (address given in the notice).
Who May Request Repatriation
Requests for repatriation may be submitted by any one or more of the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations identified in the notice, by any lineal descendant, or by any Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization not named that shows by a preponderance of the evidence that it is culturally affiliated. The museum will consider joint requests as a single request and must decide among competing requests before repatriation.
Museum Identifies Cultural Affiliation
The Autry Museum has determined cultural affiliation of the human remains and associated funerary objects with the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, California and the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation, and notes claims by two non-federally recognized groups (San Fernando Band of Mission Indians; Fernandeno Tataviam Band of Mission Indians). The human remains represent at least one Native American individual and the three associated funerary objects are identified in the notice.
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