ABSTRACT
Repatriation legislation, now ten years old, has fundamentally and forever altered the treatment of Native American remains and objects held by museums and other repositories in the United States. Initially, it was the quest for the origins of Native Americans, undertaken almost exclusively by Euro-americans, that brought institutions like the Smithsonian into being (cf. Hinsley 1981). Ironically, this quest now seems to have come full circle. Indian participation in museum studies, mainstream archaeology, and the exploration of tribal origins and history has been expanding at a rapid rate (Echo-Hawk 1997; Handsman and Richmond 1995; Hill and Hill 1994; Merrill et al. 1993; Minthorn 1997; Swidler et al. 1997; Watkins et al. 1995). This acceleration may be attributed, in large part, to the repatriation mandate.
