Repatriation at the Field Museum
Warning: This website includes information regarding human remains, funerary items, and themes that may be upsetting or disturbing to readers. In some cases, names, terms, and phrases that may be offensive or outdated are used. These have been included for full transparency and reflect the social attitudes and circumstances of the times of when these human remains and cultural items were collected or cataloged, rather than the Field Museum's current viewpoints.
Outreach, relationship building, and collaboration with descendant communities is part of the repatriation process at the Field Museum. The Center for Repatriation responds to repatriation requests through consultation with Indigenous communities and lineal descendants as well as coordinating the review of requests for information and return. In conjunction with thorough anthropological, historical, ethical, and legal analyses, communication with descendant communities is the foundation of each domestic and international repatriation claim. The Program also facilitates collaboration with Indigenous communities by providing access to the Museum's numerous collections, writing grant proposals, responding to information requests, and co-curation initiatives.