Museum in New York state returns remains of 19 Native Americans to Oneida Indian Nation

By MAYSOON KHAN
Associated Press/Report for America

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The Rochester Museum and Science Center in New York state has returned the ancestral remains of 19 Native Americans to the Oneida Indian Nation. This marks the second repatriation from the museum’s collections to the tribe, which is required by federal law. Museum president Hillary Olson apologized Wednesday for the museum’s acquisition of the remains. Olson said the repatriation does not change what happened but she expressed hope it would mark a small step in the service of justice. The remains were acquired through donations, purchases, or during the museum’s excavations. In 2000, the museum returned the ancestral remains of 25 Native Americans to the Oneidas.