By Kara Beth Poe
Twenty-four Indigenous cultural and sacred artifacts have been returned to the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes in Oklahoma, marking the first time the Speed Art Museum has completed a repatriation.
Sirene Martin, the Speed Art Museum’s assistant curator, acts as the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) coordinator.
“If these items were wrongfully taken or misplaced, the goal is to return them to their communities and officially back home,” said Martin.
Martin led the repatriation effort, which began after the Speed Art Museum recognized that it may have had culturally sensitive items connected to the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes.
In 2024, representatives from the tribes visited the museum and viewed the numerous items being kept in storage. According to Martin, the 24 items returned to Oklahoma were not on display to the public.
The repatriation allowed the Speed to fulfill its legal obligations under the NAGPRA while also working to maintain relationships with the communities represented throughout its collection.
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Kelly Hyberger, a University of Louisville alumnus and the director of curatorial affairs at the Filson Historical Society, said she was proud to see the Speed Art Museum’s NAGPRA work result in the return of the Indigenous artifacts to their homes.
Hyberger coordinates NAGPRA compliance for the Filson and has previously worked closely with tribal nations across the United States on repatriation efforts.
She said the Speed’s repatriation should be viewed as a first step.
“As with many museums, this first repatriation is not the end of this work for the Speed, but only the beginning,” said Hyberger. “I’m looking forward to seeing how they keep this work centered and moving forward in the coming months and years.”
Hyberger said NAGPRA has been federal law since 1990, but museums and universities across the United States still hold many ancestral remains, funerary items and cultural belongings.
The repatriation is a representation of one of Speed’s projects and ongoing work with Indigenous art and historical materials.
Martin encouraged students interested in the museum’s work or repatriation to begin exploring research opportunities now and find ways to get involved through relevant departments at the University of Louisville.
Students and visitors can also learn more about the Speed’s exhibitions and permanent collections through Bloomberg Connects. The free digital guide provides additional information about the museum and its artwork.
Feature Photo by Roxy Osborne
