Denver Museum Ships Sacred Hawaiian Relics Back Home After 60 Years
Published Date: 1/15/2026
Notice
Summary
The University of Denver Museum of Anthropology plans to return five sacred Hawaiian cultural items to the Native Hawaiian group Hui Iwi Kuamo'o starting February 17, 2026. These items, collected in the 1960s, are important for traditional religious practices today. This repatriation respects Native Hawaiian heritage and involves no costs or hazards.
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Return of Five Sacred Hawaiian Items
The University of Denver Museum of Anthropology intends to return five sacred Hawaiian cultural items — one adze, one wall fragment, one stone pestle, one sling stone, and one poi pounder — to the Native Hawaiian organization Hui Iwi Kuamo'o. Repatriation may occur on or after February 17, 2026; the items were collected in the early 1960s, donated to the museum in 1967, and the museum reports no record that the items were treated with hazardous substances.
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