Fort Wayne Society Completes Inventory for Tribal Artifact Return
Published Date: 12/17/2025
Notice
Summary
The Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society has finished checking and listing Native American human remains and artifacts found in Indiana. These items, linked to local tribes, are set to be returned starting January 16, 2026. This means Native communities can soon reclaim important pieces of their history, with no costs or delays expected.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Repatriation of two Native individuals
The Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society has identified human remains for at least two Native American individuals and 172 associated funerary objects. These remains and objects have been affiliated with the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and the Shawnee Tribe and may be repatriated on or after January 16, 2026.
Who may request repatriation and dispute rules
The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and the Shawnee Tribe, any lineal descendant, or another tribe or Native Hawaiian organization that shows cultural affiliation by a preponderance of the evidence may request repatriation. If competing requests are received, the Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society will decide the most appropriate requestor; joint requests count as a single request, and repatriation may occur on or after January 16, 2026.
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