Indians Reclaim Artifacts From Museums

Display cases at the Denver Museum of Natural History are going dark as Native Americans assert their rights to religious and sacred objects under a law passed by Congress.

Among the latest items taken down were 164 pieces, including religious masks, reclaimed by the Hopi tribe of Arizona.

“We pray for all Americans that they have a long, happy life for no sickness. We pray for rain because we’re in a dry farming area. We need these items to keep our culture going,” said Lee Lomayestewa, research assistant for the Hopi tribe in Kykotsmovi, Ariz.

In addition to the ceremonial masks, dolls and feathers used in tribal rites were also returned by the museum. Without the artifacts, Lomayestewa said, the tribe has been unable to perform some of its important dances.

The Denver museum also removed Navajo “broken nose” fabric masks after the tribe told officials that the masks were religious artifacts. It replaced them with a sign saying, “Specimen temporarily removed.”

Tim McKeown, Washington-based federal team leader for implementation of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, said more than 700 tribes have claimed more than 300,000 objects from museums and agencies since the act was passed in 1992.

The figures include more than 10,000 human remains and 562 sacred objects.

Robert Pickering, chairman of anthropology at the museum, said he has mixed emotions about removing items from the display cases. On the one hand, he wants visitors to be educated about Native American cultures. On the other, he wants to protect their religious freedom.

“These things are part of the American culture, not just the Indian culture. There are things that will go away and no one will have access. That apparently is what the law intended,” he said.

He said some of the items that have been returned by museums have been buried or ritually destroyed.

“The curator side of me hates to see that happen. The anthropologist in me says if this object is important in their religion, it’s their business,” he said.

Pickering said it’s hard to understand a culture without understanding its religion.

Under the law, museums must notify tribes of any object they have that may have religious, funeral or patrimonial significance.

The Denver museum, which has more than 80,000 Indian artifacts, including the original Folsom arrowhead that forced scientists to push back the timeline for Native Americans on this continent by 10,000 years, had to do a complete review and notify more than 400 tribes.

Tribes then claim the objects they want returned, often after visits to see the collection. Once an item is claimed, it is immediately removed from display. Any disputes are resolved by a seven-member arbitration committee.

Pickering said the act generally has worked well and promoted greater cooperation between scientists and tribes. Tribal elders have even helped correct historical mistakes.

For instance, the Hopis examined some religious regalia on display in Denver and told curators it was wrong. Curators had mixed up two sets. Another mistake was pointed out by members of the Lakota tribe of the Pine Ridge Reservation, who noted that a beaded hat said to have come from Wounded Knee had been mislabeled.

“We do have errors, and as an educational institution, we want to reduce our mistakes,” Pickering said. “This act has caused us to ask questions we never asked before. Not only has it caused the museum to review what it has in its collection, but it also has caused the tribes to ask themselves what they consider sacred, and what is the proper thing to do with remains.”

Lomayestewa said some tribes have lost their religious fervor, and are just now getting it back as they try to reestablish their culture and reassert their rights.

“We kept ours going,” he said. “We never lost touch with our religion.”