NY College Museum Repatriates Native Pipes and Pottery
Published Date: 8/24/2026
Notice
Summary
The Yager Museum at Hartwick College plans to return 31 Native American cultural items, like pipes and pottery, to the tribes they belong to. These items were collected from burial sites in New York and Pennsylvania long ago. The repatriation will start on or after September 23, 2026, with no costs mentioned, making it a respectful step toward honoring Native heritage.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Museum to Return 31 Tribal Items
The Yager Museum intends to return 31 Native American unassociated funerary objects (two groups of 15 and 16 items) that were taken from burial sites in New York and Pennsylvania. The museum has determined these items have cultural affiliation with the Delaware Nation (Oklahoma), the Delaware Tribe of Indians, and the Stockbridge Munsee Community (Wisconsin).
Who Can Request Repatriation
Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization may send a written request for repatriation of the items to Dr. Quentin Lewis at Yager Museum, 1 Hartwick Drive, Oneonta, NY 13820 or email [email protected]. Repatriation may occur on or after September 23, 2026; if competing requests are received the museum must determine the most appropriate requestor, and joint requests are treated as a single request.
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