Colgate University and Piscataway Nation Complete First-Ever NAGPRA Repatriation in Maryland

HAMILTON, N.Y., Oct. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The first-ever repatriation for Ancestral remains removed from what is now the state of Maryland through the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) has now been completed thanks to a joint effort between Colgate University and the Piscataway Indian Nation.

The Ancestor had been in the care of the Longyear Museum of Anthropology since 1948 and was the University's longest-held Ancestor. The return follows years of collaboration between Chesapeake Bay–area Indigenous Nations and the University.

Piscataway Indian Nation Chief Mark Tayac; his wife, Evelyn (Dakota); and Peter Landeros, Pascua Yaqui Tribe member and regional president of the American Indian Movement, traveled to Hamilton, N.Y., for the ceremony, which was also attended by Colgate Provost and Dean of the Faculty Lesleigh Cushing.

During the ceremony, Chief Tayac noted that his people were given original instructions by the Creator. "The last instruction is to return to Mother Earth," Tayac said. "Today, we are helping this Ancestor fulfill that original instruction and to rest in peace. If your grandparents died, you would be sad, and you want them to rest in peace. That is what we want, too."

While NAGPRA requires the return of Ancestors to Bands, Nations, and Tribes recognized by the U.S. Government, this particular individual was identified as a member of the Piscataway peoples. The Piscataway Indian Nations and Choptico Band of Indians of the Piscataway-Conoy Tribe were recognized by the State of Maryland in 2012.

Colgate first reported knowledge of the Ancestor to National NAGPRA in 2004, but efforts to return them to their people began in earnest in 2021, more than seven decades after their arrival. Co-director of University Museums and Curator of the Longyear Museum of Anthropology Rebecca Mendelsohn and former Curatorial Assistant and NAGPRA Coordinator Kaytlynn Lynch sent initial letters inviting consultation with state and federally recognized Nations near St. Mary's County, Md.

Colgate staff submitted their research and supporting documents to National NAGPRA in November of 2023, and an announcement was published in the Federal Register in January of 2024 to declare the Ancestor's cultural affiliation and solicit comment. These official acts and consistent outreach to tribal representatives culminated in the April 30 ceremony — "a historic moment," in the words of Chief Tayac.

"I am grateful to work with colleagues in our museums at Colgate who are committed to redressing historical wrongs in our collections practices," Cushing says.

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SOURCE Colgate University