NYC Museum Closes Native American Exhibits Thanks To New Biden Regulations

Last week, the American Museum of Natural History in New York started removing artifacts and covering up displays of Native American exhibits, letting visitors know that Friday, the 26th of January, would be the last day to see any Native American exhibits.

Biden Administration Regulations

Under the Biden administration, the Department of the Interior revised regulations to the existing Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The updated rules went into effect on January 12, 2024. Items will be returned to their rightful tribes for proper care. 

The new regulations give increased deference to Indigenous tribes in connection to lineal descent, funerary objects, and “culturally unaffiliated human remains.” 

Now, museums, any institutions that receive federal funding, have until January 2029 to return these objects to their rightful owners, consulting with tribal leaders over what may one day return to museums, if anything. 

Mixed Reactions

The news upset many who enjoyed visiting the Native American section of the AMNH. One museumgoer said, “People come here to learn and see the displays. If it's not on public display, it robs the people of a chance to learn about a culture of great historical importance to this country.”

Another visitor requested to remain anonymous and said, “I think New Yorkers should have had a chance to say goodbye.”

Still, others understood the significance of the moment for what it was: a relinquishment of property that genuinely belonged to the Native American tribes throughout the country. 

Camilla Schaper of Harlem applauded the museum for removing the Native American relics, saying it is “the right thing to do. It belongs to the different tribes, who decide what's for us and them.”

Another visitor added, “It's policy to get permission from the artifacts' descendants. I think it's appropriate. It will come back in some other form. The exhibit is due for a refresh anyway.”

Tribal Leaders Perspective

The public wasn't the only one to offer their opinions on the new regulations taking effect. 

Myra Masiel-Zamora, an archaeologist and curator with the Pechanga Band of Indians, said, “We're finally being heard — and it's not a fight, it's a conversation. We can say, ‘This needs to come home,' I'm hoping there will not be pushback.”

As of 2023, an estimated 96,000 individuals' remains are held in institutional holdings and will return to their designated tribes. 

But Scott Willard, who oversees repatriation issues for the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, is worried about finding items for museums given the new regulations, stating, “This garage sale mentality of ‘Give it all away right now' is very offensive to us.” Willard is concerned that people may view items given back to museums as “throwaway items,” which isn't the image the tribe wants to project.