Meskwaki Nation welcomes home cultural items returned by UNI
By Kayla James
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CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (KCCI) — A recent partnership between the Meskwaki Nation and the University of Northern Iowa has facilitated the return of cultural items to Iowa’s only federally recognized tribe, underscoring the significance of preserving indigenous heritage.
The Meskwaki Cultural Center and Museum now houses these artifacts, each contributing to the rich history of the Meskwaki people.
Tieranny Keahna, the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa, explained the process of federally funded institutions reaching out to tribes with ancestral claims.
“Things that we know of the land that they don’t know of, just to show that there’s something here that maybe you should reach out and try to avoid what you’re trying to do with building and such,” Keahna said.
Keahna was involved in a project that recently brought Meskwaki cultural items back to their rightful home.
“It was a welcoming home ceremony for about 12 or so artifacts that came home,” she said.
The University of Northern Iowa donated its entire Meskwaki collection from the university’s museum.
“They got to bring the collection home to us and view the museum and learn a little bit more about Meskwaki history,” Keahna said.
The collection includes items dating from the 1980s to possibly as far back as the late 1800s. It also includes items like a fork called a mimishi stick, which Johnathan Buffalo, the museum’s Historical Preservation Director, remembers using as a boy. Buffalo is also the tribe’s Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act coordinator.
“Repatriation is when the tribe wants to make a claim for something that a museum or institution holds, saying we have ownership to this and they want to bring it back,” Keahna said.
Keahna noted that museums or institutions often acquire artifacts through purchases or donations from individual tribal members, often without the tribe’s awareness.
“Most of the time it’s via private collectors that have donated this, and we are not aware of those collections being donated,” she said.
Buffalo initiated conversations with UNI in the ’90s, which were later revived when the university reached out earlier this year.
“It was a short process. Some of these repatriations take a long time,” Keahna said.
Despite the time involved, the return of these items is invaluable to tribes across the U.S.
“They’re not objects. They hold special significance to our tribe. Every item has a purpose, has a soul in a way. Being able to welcome these individual souls home is a homecoming, and we just want to welcome them home with open arms,” Keahna said.
KCCI reached out to UNI, and the university’s president, Mark Nook, expressed honor in returning the cultural items, recognizing their deep significance and reflecting a commitment to respecting and strengthening the relationship between UNI and the Meskwaki people.
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