Metropolitan Museum Ships Sacred Artifact to Known Lineal Descendant
Published Date: 9/16/2026
Notice
Summary
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) intends to repatriate a certain cultural item that meet the definition of a sacred object and that has a known lineal descendant.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Met to Repatriate One Sacred Deity Figure
The Metropolitan Museum of Art intends to repatriate one sacred wooden deity figure (akua k̄'ai), former accession number 1979.206.1625, that is connected to the Hale o Keawe site on Hawaiʻi's Big Island. The Museum says a known lineal descendant is connected to this item and repatriation may occur on or after October 16, 2026.
Who Can Request Repatriation and Process Rules
Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization may submit a written request for repatriation to Jennifer Day, NAGPRA Coordinator & Community Liaison at The Met (1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10028; email: [email protected]) by showing by a preponderance of the evidence that they are a lineal descendant or culturally affiliated. If competing requests are received, the Museum will determine the most appropriate requestor; joint requests count as a single request.
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Previous / Next Documents
Previous: 2026-18963, Notice of Inventory Completion: University of California, Santa Barbara, Repository for Archaeological and Ethnographic Collections, Santa Barbara, CA
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), Repository for Archaeological and Ethnographic Collections has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary objects and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.
Next: 2026-18965, Notice of Intended Repatriation: Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, OK
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Gilcrease Museum intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition of objects of cultural patrimony and that have a cultural affiliation with the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.