COUNTRY.

MUSEUMS HAVE HAD TO REMOVE OR COVER UP SOME OF THEIR NATIVE AMERICAN EXHIBITS, INCLUDING RIGHT HERE IN CHICAGO.

>> LAST MONTH, THE FIELD MUSEUM COVERED MANY OF THE DISPLAYS AND ITS ANCIENT AMERICAS AND NORTHWEST COAST IN ARCTIC PEOPLE'S EXHIBIT.

THAT'S BECAUSE OF UPDATES TO THE FEDERAL NATIVE AMERICAN GRAVES, PROTECTION AND REPATRIATION ACT.

MUSEUMS NOW NEED CONSENT FROM AFFILIATED TRIBES IN ORDER TO DISPLAY SACRED NATIVE ARTIFACTS.

JOINING US NOW WITH MORE IS MATTHEW BUS, TRIBAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER FOR OKAY ON BAND OF POTAWATOMI INDIANS IN MICHIGAN.

WE ALSO REACHED OUT TO THE FIELD MUSEUM TO SEND A REPRESENTATIVE, BUT THEY MATTHEW BUTLER, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>> YES, IT'S MY PLEASURE.

>> SO DO YOU THINK THESE NEW REGULATIONS ARE A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION?

>> I DO.

I I FEEL PRETTY OPTIMISTICALLY ABOUT THE NEW MAC PRO FINAL RULES TOOK EFFECT HERE IN THE 12TH OF JANUARY.

THERE'S BEEN QUITE A FEW CHANGES THAT WILL ALLOW TRIBES TO ACHIEVE REPATRIATION, MORE EXPEDIENT WAY THAN EVER BEFORE.

>> WHAT DO YOU THINK?

WHAT ARE YOU HOPING THE IMPACT WILL BE?

>> SO IS THAT NEW REGULATIONS HAVE REMOVED A BARRIER REGARDING COACH LEON IDENTIFIABLE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAS BEEN DISABLING TRIBAL COMMUNITIES FROM ACHIEVING REPATRIATIONS SINCE THE LAW WAS ENACTED IN 1990, NOW THAT CULTURAL AFFILIATION CAN BE DETERMINED THROUGH INFORMATION OTHER THAN PREPONDERANCE OF THE EVIDENCE, TRAVEL COMMUNITIES WILL BE ABLE TO CONSULT WITH ONE ANOTHER AND COME TO CONSENSUS ON THE MOST APPROPRIATE TRANSFER OF CUSTODY RECIPIENTS AND MOVE FORWARD WITH MAKING CLAIMS AND BEGIN BRINGING OUR ANCESTORS AND THEIR BELONGINGS HOME.

>> TO THAT END, YOU KNOW WHAT HAS BEEN THE IMPACT OF THESE INSTITUTIONS BEING IN POSSESSION OF THESE NATIVE ARTIFACTS, CULTURAL ITEMS, EVEN FROM HUMAN REMAINS.

>> IT IS EXTREMELY DETRIMENTAL ON THE SPIRITUAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING OF TRAVEL COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE NATION.

>> TO HAVE THEIR CULTURAL PATRIMONY ITEMS AND THEIR ANCESTORS FUNERARY BELONGING BELONGINGS BEING HELD BY THE MUSEUM'S AND EXHIBITED BY THOSE MUSEUMS IT'S HARMFUL TO SEA AND WE ALL KNOW AS AS TRIBAL COMMUNITIES THAT THOSE ITEM SHOULD WITH THEIR COMMUNITIES BEING UTILIZED IN CEREMONY AND THE THOSE FUNERARY OBJECTS SHOULD BE REUNITED WITH THE ANCESTORS AND RESPECTING THE WILL OF MOTHER EARTH LIKE THEY WERE INTENDED TO BE.

>> AGAIN, WE DID INVITE THE FIELD MUSEUM TO JOIN US THIS EVENING.

THEY DECLINED TONIGHT.

BUT IN A PRESS RELEASE, THE MUSEUM SAID, QUOTE, THESE DISPLAY CASES HAVE BEEN COVERED BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN CULTURAL ITEMS THAT COULD BE SUBJECT TO THESE UPDATED KNACK PRO REGULATIONS.

THERE ARE NO NATIVE AMERICAN HUMAN REMAINS ON DISPLAY AT THE FIELD MUSEUM.

IT GOES ON TO SAY THE FIELD MUSEUM IS COMMITTED NOT ONLY TO COMPLIANCE WITH PRO, BUT TO CONSULTATION AND COLLABORATION WITH AFFILIATED COMMUNITIES WHOSE HERITAGE IS REPRESENTED IN OUR GALLERIES.

I'M MATTHEW, AS WE AS WE MENTIONED, THE MUSEUM HAS HAD TO COVER MANY OF ITS DISPLAYS RECENTLY.

WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THE MUSEUM'S RESPONSE TO UPDATED REGULATIONS.

>> SO PERSONALLY, I BELIEVE THE COVERING THE THAT EXHIBIT CULTURAL PATRIMONY CEREMONIAL ITEMS, FUNERARY OBJECTS THAT.

SO THAT'S GOOD.

FIRST STEP.

BUT THIS KNACK A FINAL RULE IT IS NOW REQUIRING FREE PRIOR AND INFORMED CONSENT BEFORE ANY EGGS EDITION ACCESS TO OR RESEARCH ON HUMAN REMAINS OR CULTURAL ITEMS.

AND THAT IS GOING TO BE VERY BENEFICIAL FOR TRAVEL COMMUNITIES YOU KNOW, TRIBES NEED TO BE IN CONTROL OF WHAT IS BEING DISPLAYED IN THE NARRATIVE BEHIND THOSE EXHIBITS AND TRAVEL VOICES MUST INFORM THEIR OWN STORY.

MUSEUM SHOULD NO LONGER BE TELLING THE STORY FOR US.

>> IT'S BEEN LESS THAN A MONTH SINCE THE LAW HAS BEEN IN EFFECT.

BUT WHAT HAVE YOU NOTICED SO FAR IN YOUR ROLE?

>> YES, EXACTLY.

IT'S ONLY BEEN ABOUT 3 WEEKS SINCE THE NEW REGULATIONS HAVE COME INTO EFFECT.

SO WE HAVEN'T SEEN A LARGE CHANGE YET, BUT WE ANTICIPATE A LARGE INFLUX OF MUSEUMS AND INSTITUTIONS REACHING OUT TO ENGAGE NAGPUR PROCESS OR TO INQUIRE ON THE EXHIBITION OF VARIOUS ITEMS.

AND IF THEY'RE APPROPRIATE OR NOT TO DISPLAY.

AND SO THERE'S AN BE A LOT OF WORK AHEAD OF US.

>> DO YOU THINK THE LIMITED CAPACITY THAT TRIBAL NATIONS FACE IN RESPONDING TO AN INFLUX OF REQUEST FOR MUSEUMS TO THINK THAT COULD SLOW THIS PROCESS DOWN.

>> I THINK THAT IT MAY.

THERE ARE MANY TRIBAL COMMUNITIES.

THEY ONLY HAVE ONE OR 2 INDIVIDUALS, SOME OF WHICH DON'T HAVE ANY FUNDING OR ANY CAPACITY WITHIN NOT PRO PROFESSION.

IN THAT THERE ARE TRIBAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICERS.

THEY'RE WEARING MULTIPLE HATS AND ATTEMPTING TO ACCOMPLISH ALL THEIR TASKS FROM, YOU KNOW, ASSUMING THE RESPONSIBILITY FROM THE STATE ON NATIONAL STAR PRESERVATION ACT WORK WHILE ALSO ATTEMPTING TO BE PROACTIVE ON THE REPATRIATION OF THEIR ANCESTORS AND THEIR BELONGINGS.

AND SO IT'S GOING TO BE.

IT'S GOING TO BE A BUT I THINK THAT.

A LOT TRAVEL COMMUNITIES ARE STARTING TO WORK TOGETHER.

WE HAVE THE MICHIGAN AND NOT THAT CULTURAL PRESERVATION, REPATRIATION ALLIANCE, WHICH IS MADE UP OF ALL 12 OF OUR FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBES IN THE COUPLE STATE RECOGNIZED TRIBES, WHICH THOSE KIND OF MECHANISMS WILL ALLOW US TO CONTINUE TO BE EXPEDIENT AND CONSENSUS FROM ONE ANOTHER.

AND DETERMINE WHAT WHO IS MOST APPROPRIATE TO BECOME THOSE TRANSFER OF CUSTODY RECIPIENTS.

SO AS LONG AS YOU'RE WORKING AS A TEAM, I THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THIS STILL IN IN A RATHER EXPEDIENT WAY.

>> MATTHEW JUST GOT A COUPLE OF SECONDS LEFT.

BUT MOVING FORWARD, HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE WORK WITH NATIVE PEOPLE AND NATIONS AND WITH REGARD TO EXHIBIT SOME RETURNING ITEMS AND REMAINS MOVING FORWARD.

>> I WOULD LIKE TO SEE INSTITUTIONS.

>> START TO PRIORITIZE THINGS A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFECTIVELY.

>> NEED TO PRIORITIZE THE COMPILATION OF THEIR INVENTORIES.

AND FROM THAT POINT, START REACHING OUT TO EVERY SINGLE TRIBE THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE ASSOCIATED OR AFFILIATED WITH THERE ELECTIONS.

GET THOSE OPEN DOORS OF COMMUNICATIONS STARTED.

YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY WERE THE ONES HERE IN THESE POSITIONS.

AND IT'S TIME TO JUST START COMMUNICATING WITH ONE ANOTHER.

>> IT'S A GOOD PLACE TO LIVE