In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Riley County Historical Society and Museum in Manhattan, Kansas, intends to return 15 cultural items classified as unassociated funerary objects to Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. These items, including brass bells and shell beads, were originally collected from a Native American grave at Fort Laramie, Wyoming, by Elmer E. “Peg” Walter, likely between the 1930s and 1960s. The National Park Service is facilitating this process, and requests for repatriation can be made by any Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization demonstrating cultural affiliation. The process for returning the items is set to begin on January 6, 2025.
Simple Explanation
The museum has some special items from a Native American burial site, and they want to give them back to the right tribe or group of people who originally owned them. They need help deciding who should get them, and they plan to start giving them back next year.