A sacred object that was taken from the
Pueblo of Zuni more than four decades ago will be returning home.
The Ahayu:da, or war god, was donated to Albion College in Michigan in 1973, according to a
notice published in the Federal Register. It's not clear when it was taken from the tribe but it is being transferred on Thursday, The Jackson Citizen Patriot reported.
"I think they were very surprised to find that Albion College had one of these," Bille Wickre, a professor of art history, told the paper. "They're very rare."
The item is being returned under the provisions of the
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. The law, enacted in 1990, requires museums, universities and other institutions that receive federal funds to inventory their collections and determine whether they should be returned to their rightful places.
The person who donated the item to Albion died in 1990 but efforts to identify the item only began more recently.
"Once the Ahayu:da was discovered in the collection, Bille Wickre and students of Albion College undertook a research project to authenticate the object," the Federal Register notice states.
The tribe, based in New Mexico, is sending three representatives to the college to reclaim the Ahayu:da on Thursday. There will be a private ceremony for the actual transfer, accompanied by a
public event and film screening with the Zuni delegation.
Read More on the Story
Native American war god idol repatriated back to tribe from Michigan college
(The Jackson Citizen Patriot August 28, 2018)
Albion College returning idol to Native American tribe
(Michigan Radio August 28, 2018)
Federal Register Notice
Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: Albion College, Albion, MI
(November 9, 2016)
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