Northern Cheyenne Tribe reclaims cultural belongings from University of Montana
Northern Cheyenne elders signed a Feb 25 agreement transferring ownership and stewardship of items held at the University of Montana under NAGPRA
According to reporting by Montana Free Press, about a dozen Northern Cheyenne elders and cultural leaders traveled to the University of Montana, after months of consultation with the school, to review and reclaim dozens of culturally significant items, recordings and documents held in the university’s collections.
On Feb. 25, Northern Cheyenne Tribal Historic Preservation Officer Teanna Limpy and the university’s NAGPRA repatriation coordinator Courtney Little Axe signed agreements transferring ownership and establishing tribal stewardship of the belongings. While the items will remain housed at the university, the tribe now has full authority over how they are handled, stored and used. The process follows requirements under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, commonly known as NAGPRA, which establishes procedures for returning ancestral remains and cultural items to tribes.
- 1.Nora Mabie. Montana Free Press, .
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