UNC to Return 136 Items to Quapaw Nation
Published Date: 7/2/2026
Notice
Summary
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill plans to return 136 Native American cultural items to the Quapaw Nation, including pottery shards and tools, starting August 3, 2026. These items were collected decades ago from a site in Arkansas linked to the Quapaw people. This repatriation honors Native heritage and follows careful research and consultation, with no costs or deadlines for the public to worry about.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
University to Return 136 Cultural Items
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will return 136 Native American cultural items to the Quapaw Nation, including 104 potsherds, tools, faunal bones, shells, and a bag of charcoal. The repatriation may occur on or after August 3, 2026 under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).
How Others May Request Repatriation
Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization may send a written request for repatriation to Claire Auerbach at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (207 East Cameron Avenue, Suite 108, Chapel Hill, NC 27514; email cauerb@unc.edu). Repatriation may occur on or after August 3, 2026; if competing requests are received the University must determine the most appropriate requestor before repatriation, and joint requests are treated as a single request.
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