New guidelines tied to Indigenous human remains leave museums racing against the clock

The Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act was created over 30 years ago to establish a framework for museums and other institutions to return certain objects to tribes, like human remains and funerary objects. But critics say museums have taken too long to return many of those items. Under new regulations that went into effect this month, institutions must prepare to repatriate all human remains and funerary artifacts within 5 years.