Oregon Museum Catalogs Ancestral Remains for Repatriation Duty
Published Date: 12/19/2025
Notice
Summary
The University of Oregon Museum has finished checking its collection and found some Native American human remains and special burial items linked to local tribes. Starting January 20, 2026, these remains and objects can be returned to the right Native groups. This helps honor Native heritage and follows important laws protecting these cultural treasures.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Repatriation allowed starting Jan 20, 2026
The University of Oregon Museum completed an inventory and found human remains representing at least one individual and 12 associated funerary objects. Those remains and objects may be returned to affiliated tribes or lineal descendants on or after January 20, 2026.
Tribes identified as culturally affiliated
The Museum identified a cultural affiliation between the remains/objects and the following tribes: Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon; Coquille Indian Tribe; Muckleshoot Indian Tribe; Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe; Puyallup Tribe of the Puyallup Reservation; Skokomish Indian Tribe; Squaxin Island Tribe; and the Suquamish Indian Tribe. These tribes are named as having a connection to the items described in this notice.
Who may request repatriation and dispute rules
Written repatriation requests may be sent to the Museum's authorized representative and may be submitted by any one or more of the tribes named in this notice, or by a lineal descendant or other tribe/organization that proves cultural affiliation. If competing requests are received, the Museum must determine the most appropriate requestor; joint requests count as a single request.
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