Notice of Inventory Completion: Huntington Museum of Art – NAGPRA Human Remains and Funerary Objects

The Huntington Museum of Art (HMoA) in Huntington, West Virginia has completed a formal inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects in its collection, as required under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). This federal law mandates that museums and federal agencies inventory Native American cultural items and determine cultural affiliations with present-day Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. Following the completion of this inventory, HMoA has officially determined that a cultural affiliation exists between the human remains and funerary objects in its possession and one or more federally recognized Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations identified in the notice. This determination triggers specific legal obligations for the museum under NAGPRA. Once cultural affiliation is established, the museum is required to notify the affiliated tribes and, upon request, proceed with repatriation — the return of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the culturally affiliated tribe(s). Tribes have the right to claim these items and request their transfer within a defined period following publication of the notice in the Federal Register. This notice serves as the official public announcement of HMoA's completed inventory and affiliation determination, initiating the formal repatriation process and opening the window for affiliated tribes to submit repatriation requests.

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