Archives to return Native American remains, burial objects
The remains of Native American people who once lived in Alabama were dug up a century ago — often by amateur archeologists — and given to the state along with the jewelry, urns, and other objects buried with them. The Alabama Department of Archives and History announced this week that it is beginning the process of returning the remains and funerary objects held in its collections to tribes as required by federal law. The department also announced it had removed the funerary objects from displays where the artifacts had sat for years to be viewed by school groups and other visitors. “The origins of those materials and the way they came into our possession is really quite problematic from today’s perspective, and we very much honor and agreed with Native perspectives on what is and isn’t a proper type of material to show in a museum exhibition,” Steve Murray, the director of the Alabama Department of Archives and History, said Thursday. The funerary objects were “the personal property of someone who was buried and then that burial was later disturbed without permission,” Murray said. The 1990 federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act requires federally funded institutions, such as universities, to return Native American remains and cultural items to lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations. However, the return has been slow to happen. The Associated Press reported last month that 870,000 Native American artifacts — including nearly 110,000 human remains — are still in the possession of colleges, museums, and other institutions across the country, according to data maintained by the National Park Service. The first materials to be returned from the Alabama archives will be 37 sets of human remains and 349 associated funerary objects that were excavated from burials at two sites in Montgomery and Lowndes counties in the early 1900s. The graves were of people who lived in Alabama in the 18th century, although some dated back to the 1600s, Murray said. State archives have a total of 114 sets of remains taken from 22 sites across the state, plus the objects that were buried with those people, Murray said. University of Alabama museums are the largest holder of Native American remains and artifacts in Alabama. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Indian tribes seek return of remains, artifacts from Alabama
Seven tribes are asking an Alabama university to return the remains of nearly 6,000 people excavated over the years from what once was one of the largest Native American settlements in North America. The Oklahoma-based Muscogee Nation, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, and five other tribes have filed a petition under a federal law for the return of 5,982 “human remains of our ancestors” and funerary objects now held by the University of Alabama and its Moundville Archaeological Park. “These are human beings. We consider them to be our grandparents,” Raelynn Butler, the Muscogee Nation’s historic and cultural preservation manager, said in an interview. Butler said tribes are seeking the return so the remains can be reburied with the funerary objects. In a Friday letter to tribal officials, James T. Dalton, Executive Vice President and Provost of the University of Alabama, said that the university hopes to work with the tribes. The Alabama site, simply known as Moundville because of the large earthen mounds constructed there, once housed what was believed to be a large and thriving settlement. While its ancient name is unknown, the city was founded around 1120 and, at its peak, was one of the largest Native American settlements in North America, according to the university. The site included a great plaza and 26 earthen mounds. It later fell into decline, although it was used as a ceremonial site and burial ground. It was largely abandoned by the 1500s. The site and museum run by the University of Alabama is now a regular stop for elementary school students on field trips. Tens of thousands of indigenous peoples, including the Muscogee Nation, were forcibly removed from their ancestral homelands by the U.S. government between 1830 and 1850 during the devastating Trail of Tears. Muskogee Nation officials came to Alabama this week to meet with university representatives and deliver a letter to the governor. “The remains held by the University were left behind when our ancestors were forced from our ancestral homes in the Southeastern United States and into other states through the nene estvmerkv or ‘road of misery’ also known as the “Trail of Tears,” David W. Hill, Principal Chief of the Muscogee Nation and Chief Gary Batton wrote in letters to Gov. Kay Ivey. “While no one can change the past, it is our hope that you will help encourage others to do what is right in the present,” they added. The 1990 federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act requires federally funded institutions, such as universities, to return Native American remains and cultural items to lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations. However, the return has been slow to happen. While nearly 83,000 remains in the U.S. had been returned to descendants, the National Park Service indicates remains of about 116,000 Native Americans are still held by institutions around the country. Many of them have not been linked to a particular tribe — a designation called “culturally affiliated” — that allows return. The settlement at Moundville predates the modern tribes, but the seven tribes argue they are linked by lineage and language. Tribal officials are asking the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Review Committee to declare the site culturally affiliated with the tribes to pave the way for the return of the remains. A hearing is scheduled for next week. “We still have a lot of work to do in the Southeast. Only 26% of remains of ancestors that have been dug up or excavated from the Southeastern states have been returned or repatriated to tribes through the NAGPR process,” Butler said. Dalton said the University of Alabama will be providing more suggestions on the “most productive and efficient manner to address the pending joint request.” “It is our hope that, in joining with the tribes in consultation, all parties can reaffirm their shared goals of honoring and preserving the cultural heritage of the Moundville civilization,” Dalton wrote. The tribe has been seeking the return of the remains and objects taken from Moundville since 2018 and have “thus far been unsuccessful in obtaining rightful return,” they wrote. “We are hopeful the university does the right thing. We are hopeful the state urges the university to do the right thing,” Muskogee Creek ambassador Jonodev O. Chaudhuri said.
