Virginia Museum to Hand Back Sacred Native Headdress, Rattle
Published Date: 9/23/2026
Notice
Summary
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond plans to return three Native American cultural items—a headdress frontlet, a raven rattle, and a halibut grease dish—to the affiliated tribes starting October 23, 2026. This repatriation follows the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and involves no cost to the public. Tribal communities and the museum are the main players in this respectful handover.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Three Tsimshian Items To Be Returned
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts intends to repatriate three objects identified as cultural patrimony—a headdress frontlet, a raven rattle, and a halibut grease dish—culturally affiliated with the Ts'msyen (Tsimshian) people of the Metlakatla Indian Community. The repatriation may occur on or after October 23, 2026, and the Metlakatla Indian Community has asserted that the museum does not have right of possession to these items.
Who May Request Repatriation and How
Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in the notice may submit an additional written request for repatriation to Siera Hyte, Schiller Family Curator of Indigenous American Art, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 200 N Arthur Ashe Blvd., Richmond, VA 23220 (email provided in the notice). A requestor must show by a preponderance of the evidence that they are a lineal descendant or a culturally affiliated Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization; repatriation may occur on or after October 23, 2026.
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