Repatriation

On November 24, 2014 the Museum hosted a presentation by Brice Obermeyer titled:"Legacy of an American Indian Civil Rights Law". The program is made possible by the Kansas Humanities Council.

Many museums across the United States have human remains, funeral objects, and the sacred items of American Indians in their collections. The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 legally guaranteed American Indian tribes the right to reclaim these items in an effort to restore the humanity of these individuals. The presentation explores the effects of the law, which includes increased collaboration between museums and Indian tribes.

Brice Obermeyer is an anthropologist that specializes in American Indian ethnography and historic preservation. He also serves as the director of Delaware Tribe's Historic Preservation Office. "Repatriation does more than return and rebury human remains," said Obermeyer. "It builds strong and collaborative relationships between tribes and museums while restoring the humanity to those individuals in the museum collections who have long been viewed as artifacts of the past."

Brice Obermeyer	Part of those attending