Speed Museum returns sacred cultural items to Indigenous communities

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – The Speed Art Museum marks a milestone on Wednesday, Aug. 19, when it hosts a public program focused on its first repatriation of items belonging to Native communities under the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).

The Speed Salon: Talks+Theory runs from 5-7 p.m., offering a rare opportunity for the public to hear from tribal representatives about the significance of returning these items.

NAGPRA is a federal law requiring museums and other institutions to review Native American human remains, sacred objects, and cultural belongings in their collections and work with Tribal nations to return them.

The Speed Museum acknowledged that this process is about more than complying with legal matters. It is a major institutional shift.

“The process is about much more than returning items,” the museum shared in a statement. “It is also about restoring relationships, respecting the importance of these belongings, and supporting healing within the communities to which they belong.”

This event builds on the museum’s ongoing efforts, including the newly expanded and reimagined Native American Art Galleries, which move away from the historicized, anthropological display style toward one that highlights living creative practice, active tribal participation, and contemporary Indigenous voices.

The Aug. 19 panel discussion will feature:

• Chester Whiteman, Tribal Representative of the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes
• Fred Mosqueda, Tribal Representative of the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes
• Sirene Martin, Assistant Curator and NAGPRA Coordinator at the Speed Art Museum

Erika Holmquist-Wall, the museum’s Chief Curator and the Mary and Barry Bingham Sr. Curator of European and American Paintings and Sculpture, will moderate the discussion.

Attendees will gain insight into NAGPRA, the intricacies of the repatriation process, and the ethical responsibilities museums hold toward the communities represented in their collections. The program is designed for anyone interested in museum ethics, history, and Native American culture, and is highly relevant and encouraged for educators, students, and researchers in anthropology and the humanities.

The evening will conclude with a solemn closing recessional ceremony.

Tickets are $5 for students, $15 for speed members and $20 for non-member adults. You can get yours here.