Field Museum to Return Sacred Osage Bundles After Century in Storage
Published Date: 4/9/2026
Notice
Summary
The Field Museum in Chicago plans to return 24 important cultural items, like feast mats and sacred bundles, to the Osage Nation starting May 11, 2026. These items have deep cultural meaning and were collected over a century ago. If you’re connected to the Osage Nation or related groups, you can request repatriation by contacting the museum.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Field Museum to Return 24 Osage Items
The Field Museum intends to return 24 objects of cultural patrimony that are affiliated with The Osage Nation — five feast mats, seven woven bags, and 12 items that make up a sacred bundle — to The Osage Nation. These items were collected from the Osage Reservation by George Dorsey in 1901 and were accessioned by the museum in 1901; repatriation may occur on or after May 11, 2026.
Who Can Request Repatriation and How
Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization (including The Osage Nation) may submit a written request for repatriation by showing a preponderance of the evidence; requests must be sent to the Field Museum and repatriation may occur on or after May 11, 2026. If competing requests are received, the Field Museum will decide the most appropriate requestor; joint requests are treated as a single request.
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