Capitol News

Michigan State University (MSU) has completed its first-ever repatriation of human ancestral remains to the Bahamas. Jessica Yann, the program manager for MSU's Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) program, facilitated this significant return. Yann is also a faculty member in the Department of Anthropology at MSU.

Reflecting on the importance of this event, Yann said, "To see how important this return was to the people of the Bahamas, to know that their cultural heritage is back where it belongs, and that I was a part of it, is incredibly humbling. I’m glad to have been able to facilitate it."

The journey began when Yann discovered human ancestral remains from the Bahamas while reviewing a collection donated by the Chamberlain Memorial Museum in the 1950s. Although NAGPRA applies only within the United States, Yann applied its principles internationally to initiate this repatriation process.

Yann collaborated with Grace Turner, senior archaeologist at the Antiquities, Monuments and Museums Corporation (AMMC) in Nassau. On October 28, 2024, Yann traveled to the Bahamas where Prime Minister Philip Davis welcomed her. The repatriation culminated in a celebration by the island community as they displayed the remains in Parliament for public viewing.

Prime Minister Davis expressed his gratitude stating, “It’s a moment where part of our past, held far from our shores for nearly a century, has finally returned home. Thanks to this collaboration between Michigan State University’s Arts and Collections Department and our own Antiquities, Monuments and Museums Corporation, we mark a historic first for The Bahamas: the return of ancestral remains from an international institution.”

Yann highlighted that Caribbean islands have faced looting over centuries. This particular collection was previously unknown to AMMC but now provides valuable information about their history. "They don’t have a lot of good data on the Lucayan people," Yann explained. "These were Lucayan remains which added to their understanding of the first people to inhabit the island."

A key aspect of Yann's role involves auditing collections under NAGPRA guidelines. According to nagpra.msu.edu, NAGPRA requires federally funded institutions to inventory collections and consult with Native American tribes for potential repatriations.

"If there was no consent for a collection to be removed from its original location," said Yann, "we either need to get consent to keep it or return it." She emphasized recognizing multiple perspectives on historical artifacts.

The practice surrounding archaeological items has evolved significantly over time according to Yann who stated: “We’ve seen a shift in archaeological practice... NAGPRA and doing this work continues... because it’s about social justice."

Hoping others will follow suit after witnessing this successful repatriation effort she remarked: “We need put cultural heritage back into hands descendants... By hoarding someone else’s history we make inaccessible them."

Yann believes strongly in reconciling past wrongs through communication with Indigenous communities worldwide; learning constantly through engagement she affirmed MSU's commitment ensuring rightful access those who created cultural heritage.

“There’s lot space collaboration,” she concluded “Michigan State University will do everything we can ensure those who created cultural heritage have access right.”