The Thomas Burke Memorial Washington State Museum (Burke Museum) intends to return a cultural item, a ceramic vessel, to the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). This vessel, collected in 1926 from the Gulf Coast, is considered an unassociated funerary object as it was found near Native American burial sites. The repatriation process may start after April 18, 2025, and other tribes or descendants can request its return if they can provide sufficient evidence of cultural affiliation. If multiple requests are received, the museum will decide who should receive the item.
Simple Explanation
The Burke Museum wants to give back an old pot to the Choctaw Nation because it belongs to them, and the museum found it at a place where Native Americans used to bury people. They will start this return after April 18, 2025, but if others also think the pot belongs to them and can prove it, they can ask for it too.