Repatriation Office

Repatriation is the process by which museums and other institutions transfer possession and control of Native American, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian human remains, funerary objects, objects of cultural patrimony and sacred objects back to the tribes of origin. For the museums that comprise the Smithsonian Institution, the National Museum of the American Indian Act (NMAI Act), passed in 1989 and amended in 1996, governs repatriation. The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), passed in 1990, directs repatriation for other U.S. institutions that receive federal funding.

The Repatriation Office was established in 1991 to implement the statutory requirements of the NMAI Act. This law and its amendment assert the right of Native American, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian peoples to determine the disposition of culturally affiliated human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony currently in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution. Our policy also directs us to consider requests for the repatriation of the remains of Native American individuals whose identity is known, and objects acquired illegally. 

The Legacy of Repatriation
The museum maintains its anthropological collections and exhibits in order to cultivate understanding of and respect for cultures throughout the world, including those indigenous to the United States. While repatriation can be a relatively simple process resulting in the physical return of human remains and objects, it can also be the first step in establishing a close working relationship between Native peoples and the museum.

The Repatriation Office is located on the National Mall, in the National Museum of Natural History building. Tribes are encouraged to consider sending representatives to visit the museum to discuss repatriation matters. These consultation visits can be funded through travel grants from the Repatriation Review Committee.

Much of the Native American objects and remains now held by the museum were collected as a part of archaeological excavations or anthropological expeditions around the U.S. or transferred to the Smithsonian from other institutions, such as the former U.S. Army Medical Museum. A small number of human remains were collected by private individuals, and large numbers of ethnographic objects were acquired from Native people throughout the 19th and 20th centuries by private collectors and Smithsonian anthropologists.

For definitions of the categories of materials subject to repatriation, the National Museum of Natural History Repatriation Office has developed detailed policy and procedures for the implementation of the National Museum of the American Indian Act. Please see our Guidelines and Procedures. 

Communication and collaboration with Native groups is the foundation of the repatriation process at the National Museum of Natural History. A consultation visit normally consists of a meeting to discuss repatriation issues, the progress of a pending repatriation case, an orientation to the documentation procedure, and an examination of the collections. Every consultation visit is different according to the needs and interests of the visitors, and we can develop an agenda specific to the needs of the visiting group.

A consultation travel grant may cover transportation, hotel accommodations, meal allowance, and local travel, normally for two tribal representatives.