The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (Penn Museum) has completed the repatriation of several sacred 19th-century altars and ceremonial masks to the Zuni Pueblo in New Mexico. This move follows years of collaborative provenance research and consultation with tribal elders. The artifacts, which were originally acquired under ethically questionable circumstances in the late 1800s, are considered communal property and essential for the spiritual practices of the Zuni people.
This repatriation marks a significant milestone in the museum's ongoing effort to align its collections with modern ethical standards and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). During the ceremony, representatives from the Zuni Pueblo expressed the profound cultural importance of these objects returning home, noting that they are living entities rather than static museum displays.