Peabody Museum Preps Return of Native Remains and Artifacts to Tribes
Published Date: 12/16/2025
Notice
Summary
Harvard’s Peabody Museum has finished checking its collection and found human remains and artifacts linked to Native American tribes. Starting January 15, 2026, these items can be returned to the tribes that they belong to. This means important cultural treasures will soon be going back home, honoring Native communities and their history.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Peabody to Return Remains Beginning Jan 15, 2026
The Peabody Museum has identified human remains representing 148 individuals and 30 associated funerary objects that have a cultural affiliation with the Ak-Chin Indian Community; Gila River Indian Community; Hopi Tribe; Salt River Pima‑Maricopa Indian Community; Tohono O'odham Nation; and Zuni Tribe. These items may be repatriated to those tribes on or after January 15, 2026.
Who May Request Repatriation and Process Rules
Repatriation requests may be submitted by any one or more of the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations named in this notice, or by a lineal descendant or tribe/organization not named that shows cultural affiliation by a preponderance of the evidence. Repatriation to a requestor may occur on or after January 15, 2026; competing requests must be resolved by the Peabody Museum, and joint requests are treated as a single request.
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Previous / Next Documents
Previous: 2025-22917, Notice of Inventory Completion: Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Harvard’s Peabody Museum has finished checking its collection and found some Native American hair samples from the Fort Mohave Indian School and Sherman Institute. These remains are linked to Native tribes, and starting January 15, 2026, they can be returned to the right communities. If you want to request the return, you can contact the museum soon!
Next: 2025-22919, Notice of Intended Repatriation: Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Harvard’s Peabody Museum plans to return 30 cultural items like sacred objects and funerary artifacts to Native American tribes connected to Arizona sites. This repatriation will start on or after January 15, 2026, honoring Native communities and their heritage. No money changes hands, but this is a big step in respecting cultural history and following the law.