Museum to Repatriate Sioux Child’s Remains This Summer
Published Date: 7/2/2026
Notice
Summary
The National Museum of Health and Medicine has finished checking its collection and found the remains of a young child linked to the Yanktonai Sioux tribe. These remains can be returned to the tribe starting July 31, 2026. If you want to request the return, contact the museum soon—this is a respectful step toward honoring Native American heritage.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Remains Available for Repatriation
You (an eligible tribe or descendant) can request return of human remains beginning on or after July 31, 2026. The remains are the nearly complete skeleton of a child about 1.5–2 years old that was removed in May 1868 and identified in correspondence as Yanktonai Sioux.
Who May Request Repatriation
You may request repatriation if you are one of the Indian Tribes named in this notice (including the Yankton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota and others listed) or if you are a lineal descendant or other tribe/organization that shows by a preponderance of the evidence that you have cultural affiliation. Written requests must be sent to the museum representative at the address or email listed in the notice.
Competing and Joint Request Rules
If the museum receives competing requests for repatriation, it must determine the most appropriate requestor before repatriation occurs; requests for joint repatriation are treated as a single (non-competing) request. The museum will send a copy of this notice to the tribes and organizations named in the notice.
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