HASTINGS MUSEUM CONTINUES WORK WITH TRIBAL NATIONS THROUGH NAGPRA CONSULTATION AND
REPATRIATION
The Hastings Museum is continuing its work with Tribal Nations and lineal descendants to review Native American ancestors and cultural items in the Museum’s collections through the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).
NAGPRA establishes a process for museums and other institutions to work with Tribal Nations and lineal descendants to identify, consult on, and return Native American ancestors, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony. The law also requires museums to consult with Native Nations and descendants about the appropriate care, treatment, handling, exhibition, and research of Native American cultural items and ancestors.
For the Hastings Museum, this work is about more than fulfilling a federal requirement. It is an opportunity to build relationships with Tribal Nations, listen to Native American traditional knowledge and perspectives, and ensure that decisions about Native American ancestors and cultural heritage are made with the people and communities to whom they belong.
“We recognize that the Museum’s collections hold objects and ancestors connected to Native Nations and families, and we have a responsibility to approach that history with respect,” said Sarah Minshew, Curator of Collections and Institutional NAGPRA Representative. “This process gives us the opportunity to listen, learn, and work alongside Tribal Nations and descendants to determine what should happen with these items and how Native American history and culture should be represented at the Museum.”
The Museum’s consultation work includes reviewing collection records and researching the history and origins of objects and ancestors, identifying Tribal Nations and lineal descendants who may have a cultural or legal connection, and inviting them to participate in consultation. Tribal representatives, historians, Elders, Traditional Knowledge Keepers, and descendants may participate depending on the items being reviewed. Through consultation, Tribal Nations and descendants may determine that cultural items or ancestors should be returned through the repatriation process. In other cases, a Nation may choose to leave an item in the Museum’s care while providing guidance on its storage, display, and interpretation. Decisions are made through the consultation process and are not determined by the Museum alone.
As this work continues, visitors may notice changes to some Native American exhibits. In accordance with current NAGPRA requirements, the Museum has covered Native American cultural items within exhibit cases while consultation is underway. These items will remain covered until the Museum receives the appropriate consent and guidance from Tribal Nations and/or descendants regarding their care and exhibition.
The Museum recognizes that its past collecting and exhibition practices do not always reflect the standards it follows today. Historically, Native American human remains and cultural objects were displayed in ways that treated Native American cultures and ancestors as objects of curiosity rather than as belonging to living, vibrant communities. The Museum acknowledges this history and is committed to moving forward through ethical stewardship, meaningful consultation, repatriation, and respectful interpretation.
The Museum’s work also extends beyond determining which items may be repatriated. For objects that remain in the Museum’s care, the goal is to work with Native Nations to better understand their cultural significance and incorporate their knowledge and perspectives into how those objects are cared for and interpreted.
“Our goal is to create a space where Native Americans and their communities feel respected and culturally safe,” said Teresa Kreutzer-Hodson, Museum Director. “We want to tell these stories with Native Nations, not simply about them. That means being willing to listen, make changes, and allow the consultation process to guide us.”
The consultation process takes time and requires careful consideration. The Museum is committed to allowing Tribal Nations and descendants to help guide the process and respects that each Nation may have its own cultural practices, priorities, and perspectives. The Museum’s NAGPRA work is being carried out in accordance with federal requirements as well as the requests and guidance of its Native Nation partners.
The Hastings Museum is committed to transparency throughout this process and will continue to share information as appropriate. Visitors who have questions about NAGPRA or the Museum’s Native American collections may ask the front desk to connect them with the Museum’s Institutional NAGPRA Representative.