The William S. Webb Museum at the University of Kentucky is in the process of repatriating the remains belonging to Native American tribes from the region. The museum has completed their inventory of human remains and associated objects and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the remains and objects and the tribes. Celise Chilcote-Fricker is the NAGPRA Coordinator at the University of Kentucky. NAGPRA is the Native American Graves Protection Repatriation Act. She said the remains and items being returned belong to a group that has long been in the Kentucky area. “The most recent notice that was submitted and published was culturally affiliated with the three federally recognized Shawnee Tribes.” She said there were also many items associated with funeral rituals that will also be returned. “It’s usually different types of lithics, or ceramics potentially tools made out of bone, sometimes beads, pieces of ornament.” Chilcoate-Fricker said this round of items will be returned to the three federally recognized Shawnee Tribes that once called the Ohio Valley region home. These tribes are now primarily located in Oklahoma. She said the museum has a good relationship with the various tribes and will continue working with them to have their cultural items returned. ** WEKU is working hard to be a leading source for public service, and fact-based journalism. Monthly supporters are the top funding source for this growing nonprofit news organization. Please join others in your community who support WEKU by making your donation. The post UK’s Webb Museum working to repatriate Native American remains and artifacts appeared first on The Lexington Times.