The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) plans to repatriate 984 cultural items to certain Native American tribes, including the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, the Cherokee Nation, and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma. These items, mostly ceramic vessel fragments, were removed from a site in Qualla Boundary, North Carolina, between 1935 and 1936 without permission and are considered unassociated funerary objects. Repatriation may take place after May 19, 2025, and requests for repatriation can be made by other eligible tribes or descendants who can prove a cultural connection. The process follows the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
Simple Explanation
The U.S. Department of the Interior is planning to give back some special items, like pieces of pottery, to Native American tribes because they belong to them. These items were taken from their land a long time ago without permission, and now they will be returned to their rightful owners.