"Federal Regulations Prompt Closure of Native American Exhibits at Major Museums"

The American Museum of Natural History in NYC closed its Native American exhibits in compliance with new federal regulations under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), which require museums to return indigenous human remains, funerary objects, and cultural items to recognized tribes. The closures, affecting almost 10,000 square feet of exhibition space, have sparked mixed reactions from visitors and members, with some supporting the move as respectful and others expressing disappointment at the sudden closure. The revised regulations aim to give more authority to tribes in the repatriation process and require free, prior, and informed consent before any exhibition, access to, or research on human remains or cultural items.