In November 1990 Congress passed the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. This act gave American Indians’ ownership and control of Indian cultural items excavated or discovered on federal or tribal lands. The protected items include human remains and funerary or sacred objects. Funerary objects were those associated with a burial. Some museums and archaeologists objected to this legislation. Some museums have had to return American Indian skeletal remains and sacred objects to tribal communities. Other museums have worked with tribal officials to ensure that sacred objects and skeletal remains are protected and displayed in accordance with traditional religious beliefs.
