Museum Finds Human Remains Eligible for Return
Published Date: 6/11/2026
Notice
Summary
The American Museum of Natural History has finished checking its collection and found human remains and a bone tool linked to Native American tribes. Starting July 13, 2026, these items can be returned to the tribes that they belong to. If you want to request the return, you can contact the museum directly—just a heads-up, some items might need careful handling due to past pesticide use.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Museum Identifies Remains for Repatriation
The American Museum of Natural History completed an inventory and identified human remains of one Native American individual and one associated bone awl that are culturally affiliated with a list of Indian Tribes. The museum links these items to a burial site (11PK9, "Thompson Farm") in Pike County removed in 1924 and accessioned in 1940, and has determined they may be returned to the tribes named in this notice on or after July 13, 2026.
Handling Warning: Pesticide Residues
The museum notes that, in the past, it applied potentially hazardous pesticides to collection items and its records do not identify which objects or chemicals were treated. People who handle these human remains or objects should follow the advice of industrial hygienists or medical personnel with training in occupational health or hazardous substances.
Who May Request Repatriation
Written requests for repatriation may be submitted by any one or more of the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations listed in this notice, or by any lineal descendant or tribe not listed who shows by a preponderance of the evidence that they are entitled. If competing requests arrive, the American Museum of Natural History must determine the most appropriate recipient; joint repatriation requests count as a single request. Requests must be sent to Nell Murphy, American Museum of Natural History, 200 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024 or email [email protected].
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