Hastings Museum and Art Gallery have an Indigenous Engagement Policy which includes an overview of their approach to repatriation. They state that if they receive a repatriation claim, their working group will set out to establish the following information:

• – A full history of the object(s) in question, including the circumstances of acquisition and its use within the museum since acquisition
• – An understanding of the importance of the object to the community making the repatriation request
• – A designated person or institution, appropriate to act as receiver of the requested object(s)

The Horniman Museum is a bit unusual in that it’s a government-funded museum in London, but it’s not one of the national museums.

In 2022, the Horniman Museum formally transferred ownership of 72 items to Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments, and has so far handed over six of these.

You can search their collections here.

The have a publicly available Restitution and Repatriation Policy. The policy applies to both ancestors and belongings. Decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis by the museum’s board of trustees.

It’s important to note the Horniman Museum states ‘we strongly encourage initial informal enquiries from a community to explore the holdings of the Horniman, the circumstances of acquisition, and the possibility of a return. Our experience is that the development of a relationship of mutual respect and understanding is fundamental to the exploration of issues of future management of collections, including return.’

Process

• Developing a relationship – informal discussions and enquiries with the relevant Curator
• Making a request –make a formal written request to Chief Executive Nick Merriman. The request should include; introduction to community reps and their relationship to the community making the request, details of the ancestral remains or items for return, and reasons why a return is ‘considered appropriate’. According to the museum, ‘it would also be helpful to have an indication of what it is planned will happen to the material when it is returned’. Include any additional information the community feel the museum might need e.g. letters of support, any other planned requests, advice on archives, publications, organisations or individuals whom it would be useful to consult
• Responding to a request – The museum will acknowledge the request within one week and provide a timetable for response in 20 days (which will vary on a case-by-case basis). A subcommittee will make a recommendation to the full board, and the full board will make final decision.

Manchester Museum is a university museum, part of Manchester University, in North West England.

They returned 43 items the Aranda people of Central Australia, the Gangalidda Garawa peoples of northwest Queensland, the Nyamal people of the Pilbara and the Yawuru people of Broome in 2019. In September 2023, they returned 174 items to the Anindilyakwa community.

Their online collections doesn’t seem to be working, but they are working on this.

They are currently writing a Repatriation Policy but at the moment have a Policy for the Care and Use of Human Remains.

The policy says ‘we will be proactive in discussing the possible repatriation of relevant human remains with contemporary indigenous originating communities.’ Claims will be assessed on a case-by-case basis following consultation by the University’s Board of Governors. Requests should be submitted in writing to the Director.

They have a page on their website which outlines the work they are doing towards undertaking more repatriation which you can read here. They say ‘we’re open to any claims.’

The National Army Museum is a national museum in London that focuses on the history of individual corps and regiments of the British Army.

In 2018, the National Army Museum agreed to return hair belonging to Emperor Tewodros II to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

You can search their online inventory of collections here.

Whilst they do not have a standalone Repatriation Policy, they do have a section on repatriation in their Collections Development Policy.

Decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Process

• Requests should be made in writing to the Assistant Director (Collections and Programmes)
• Research will be undertaken by the Head of Collections Standards and Care and/or relevant Senior Curator to ascertain the possibility of restitution with due consideration to legal and ethical issues. This will also involve seeking relevant expert advice
• Will follow the Department of Culture, Media and Sport procedure
• Requests will be presented to the Collections Development Group for discussion and, if approved, it will be discussed at the Collections and Research Committee. The Committee will make the relevant recommendation to The Council of the National Army Museum

National Museums Liverpool are a group of national museums in North West England. It is made up of; the World Museum, Walker Art Gallery, Merseyside Maritime Museum, The Piermaster’s House, Border Force National Museum, International Slavery Museum, Lady Lever Art Gallery, Sudley House, Museum of Liverpool, and the National Conservation Centre. Their World Cultures collection consists of around 40,000 objects, with a particular focus on West Africa, East Asia, Tibet, the north-west coast of the Americas, the Amazon, New Zealand and New Guinea.

In 2007 they returned ancestors to Australia and Te Papa.

How to find collections

You can find a 488-page inventory of the ancestors they hold here.

You can search their digitised collections here.

Repatriation Policies

They have two documents that outline their policy and approach to the repatriation of ancestors:

Policy on Human Remains

Requesting the Return of Human Remains

There is a list of criteria for ancestral remains claims:

• The legal status of the remains
• How the remains were originally acquired
• The age of the remains
• The status of those making the request and their relationship with the remains
• The Cultural and religious values of the interested individuals or communities and the significance of the remains to the communities
• The policy of the country of origin
• The scientific, educational and historic importance of the remains
• How the remains have been used and treated in the past
• How the remains would be treated if returned
• Whether a record of the remains exists or can be made before return
• If there are any other options available
• If there are any precedents

They also have a Repatriation of Cultural Objects Policy. In 2024, they published their Restitution and Repatriation of Cultural Artefacts Procedure which outlines how to make a claim – from informal enquiries through to how decisions will be made. Note that whilst their policy states that belongings can be returned if ‘on the balance of probabilities’ they were removed illegally, they can also deaccession belongings if it can be demonstrated that their removal from the collections will not be detrimental to the Liverpool community (e.g. if the belongings are currently kept in storage).

Oxford University has seven museums including Britain’s first public museum, the Ashmolean, and the famous PItt Rivers Museum.

In 2017, they returned ancestors to Te Papa, and in 2022 they returned ancestors to the South East First Nations Community in Australia and agreed to return 97 Benin Bronzes.

Finding Collections

Below are links to the searchable collections databases that exist for Oxford University’s museums:

The Ashmolean Collection

History of Science Museum Collection

Oxford University Museum of Natural History Collection

Pitt Rivers Museum Collection

Repatriation Policies and Procedures

They have two public policies, one for ancestors and another for belongings:

Human Remains Policy

Oxford University will consider returning ancestors if:

• They were intended for burial or were buried and they are less than 100 years old, with a claim being made by a genealogical descendant or;
• They are less than 300 years old and the claim is made by a source community which displays a cultural continuity with the ancestor in question and the claim is made through a national government and the university decides ‘that the cultural and religious importance of human remains to the community making the claim outweighs any other public benefit’

It is important to note that claims need to be made officially through a body ‘generally recognised as responsible for the governance of the claimant community’.

Criteria

• The status of those making a request (genealogical descendents, community of origin, country of origin)
• The cultural and spiritual significance of the ancestral remains
• The age of the ancestral remains
• How the ancestral remains were originally acquired
• The potential public benefit of the ancestral remains

They are unlikely to agree to repatriate any items made with ancestral remains if the ancestor is over 300 years old.

Procedure

• Requests should be submitted in writing to the Vice Chancellor of the University with as much information as possible
• The Vice Chancellor remains the single point of contact throughout
• Claim will be formally acknowledged in writing and then how long it will take depends on a number of factors
• Each claim will be initially considered by the governing body of the relevant museum, who will then make a recommendation to the University Council
• The recommendation and dossier of the case will be made publicly available giving an opportunity for all with an interest to comment
• Any comments will be considered by the University Council in reaching a final decision
• Once a decision has been made, a written report will be prepared that explains how the decision was reached. Claimants will be involved in writing and at the same time the decision will be published on the university’s website
• If the decision is made to repatriate, the Director of the relevant museum will begin discussions on how and when this will take place

Procedures for Claims for the Return of Cultural Objects from Oxford University Museums and Libraries

Claims for belongings are decided on a case-by-case basis and the costs for return are to be covered by the claimant.

The university states that ‘potential claimants are encouraged to begin the process by emailing the relevant museum/library to discuss the claim informally’. This is so that the relevant curator can support with searching the collections database and building a relationship prior to a formal claim being made.

Criteria

• The object was taken under duress or other transactions that involved force or coercian
• The object was communal property acquired from a person or persons that were not authorised to sell it

Procedure

• Begin with emailing relevant museum for informal discussion
• Claims should be submitted in writing to the Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford with as much information as possible
• The claim will be forwarded to the director of the relevant museum who will appoint a dedicated member of staff or working group to act as point of contact and produce an initial report for the museum’s board
• The claim will be formally acknowleged in writing
• Claim will be discussed by the relevant museum board at the earliest opportunity
• The board will submit its recommendation to the University’s Council for final decision
• The recommendation and supporting information will be made publicly available, giving an opportunity for everyone with an interest to comment
• The University Council will make the final decision
• Once a decision has been made, the Vice Chancellor will inform the claimant in writing and the decision will be published on the university’s website at the same time

The Science Museum Group are a group of give national museums made up of:

• The Science Museum in London
• The Science and Industry Museum in Manchester
• The National Railway Museum in York
• The Locomotion Museum in County Durham
• The National Science and Media Museum in Bradford

Finding ancestors and belongings

You can view a list of ancestors the Science Museum Group holds here

The Science Museum Group also holds many ancestors that are actually owned by the Wellcome Collection, so it’s worth checking with them as well.

You can search their collection online here.

Policy

There is no formal repatriation policy for the Science Museum Group, as many of the ancestors they hold are owned by the Wellcome Collection.

The Science Museum Group follows the model claim procedure and criteria in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s criteria and all claims will be subject to the final approval by the Science Museum Group’s Board of Trustees.

Criteria

• The status of those making the request and continuinty with the remains
• The cultural, spirtiual and religious significance of the remains
• The age of the remains
• How the remains were originally removed and acquired
• The status of the remains within the collecion
• The scienftific, educational and historical value of the remains to the Wellcome Collection and the public
• How the remains have been used in the past
• The future of the remains if returned
• Records of the remains
• Other options
• Policy of the country of origin
• Precedent

The Wellcome Collection is quite unique in that they are part of the Wellcome Trust, a charitable foundation focused on health research based in London.

They have a large number of ancestors and belongings on loan to the Science Museum Group. You can search their collections here.

Repatriation Policy

In their Care of Human Remains Policy, the Wellcome Collection say that they welcome ‘enquiries and access requests from source communities’ and that they are ‘committed to being open and transparent about claims in relation to human remains in its collections, including claims for their return to relatives or communities of origin. [They] will seek to ensure that it responds to claims as constructively as possible and that dialogue with claimants and potential claimants is as equitable as possible. All requests from cultural groups to access remains will be treated with sensitivity.’

Procedure

• Initial contact – submit claim in writing to Director of Wellcome Collection with as much information as possible about the ancestral remains being claimed, the individual or community submitting the claim, the reasons for making the claim and the evidence that substantiates the claim
• Acknowledgement – the claim will be formally acknowledged in writing and an indication of how long it will take to make a decision given. A Case Officer will be identified who will act as a single point of contact for claimants and other interested parties throughout
• Claims handling – staff handling the claim will consider the information, gather further information and may seek independent advice from experts where appropriate. Decisions will usually be made by the Board of Governors.
• Once a decision has been made, a written report will be prepared explaining how the Board of Governors came to that conclusion. Claimants will be informed in writing and the decision will be published on the Wellcome Collection website. The decision will be implemented promptly in consultation with the claimant.

Criteria

• The status of those making the request and continuinty with the remains
• The cultural, spiritual, and religious significance of the remains
• The age of the remains
• How the remains were originally removed and acquired
• The status of the remains within the collecion
• The scientific, educational and historical value of the remains to the Wellcome Collection and the public
• How the remains have been used in the past
• The future of the remains if returned
• Records of the remains
• Other options
• Policy of the country of origin
• Precedent

Aberdeen University holds a large amount of special collections. They returned a sacred bundle to the Kainai Nation in 2002 and a Benin Bronze in 2021.

Finding collections

You can search their collections here.

Repatriation Policy

Aberdeen University has a Repatriation Policy that applies to both ancestors and belongings.

All decisions are made by the University Court and all costs are to be paid by the claimant.

The policy does say that ‘initial enquiries concerning repatriation should be made to the Head of Museums and Special Collections. Where appropriate, arrangements for the loan of the item for a renewable period of up to five years, rather than legal transfer, can be made by the Head of Museums and Special Collections, acting on conservation and security advice.’

Procedure

• An informal discussion with the Head of Museums and Special Collections
• Formal request in writing to the Head of Museums and Special Collections
• Investigation and discussion by Advisory Group based on the below criteria
• Decision from the University Court

Criteria

• Identity of the item
• History of possession and/or ownership of the item
• Connection between the item and the claimant
• Significance of the item to the claimant and to the university
• Consequences of return to the claimant or retention by the university

Glasgow Life Museums are regional museums owned by Glasgow City Council. There are eleven museums in total, including Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum that conducted the first UK repatriation of the Ghost Dance Shirt to the Lakota. In 2022, they returned seven artefacts to India, a further 25 belongings to the Lakota, and pledged to return 19 Benin Bronzes.

Finding Collections

You can search Glasgow Life Museums collections here.

Repatriation Policy

Glasgow Life Museums have a Working Group for the Repatriation of Artefacts, started in August 2021. On a case-by-case basis, the Working Group will make recommendations to the City Council for their consideration, authorisation, and final approval.

Process

• Informal preliminary requests with a subject Curator
• If a formal claim is received, the claim will be acknowledged by the Head of Museums and Collections, who will send guidance about the claims process to the claimants
• An internal panel of staff will prepare a preliminary report collating details about the claim, the items, how they were acquired, their provenance, and their relationship with the claimants
• The preliminary report will be submitted to the Working Group
• The Working Group will prepare a report and make a final recomendation to the Council
• The Council will make a final decision

Criteria

• The status of those making the request, i.e. their right to represent the descendants of the community to whom the artefact, artefacts or ancestors originally belonged
• The continuity between the community that created the object(s)/ancestor(s) and the current community on whose behalf the request is being made
• The cultural, historical and/or religious importance of the object(s)/ancestor(s) to the descendant community
• How the object(s)/ancestor(s) were acquired by the museum

The Hunterian is a university museum, part of the University of Glasgow. It is the oldest museum in Scotland (not to be confused with the Hunterian Museum in London).

Finding Collections

You can search The Hunterian’s collection here. They also have a spreadsheet listing all of the human remains in their collection here.

Repatriation Policy

The Hunterian Repatriation Policy says that they welcome ‘Indigenous community engagement with the collections and claims for the repatriation of items from the collections’.

‘The Hunterian’s commitment to return human remains and other culturally significant heritage items carries a responsibility to ensure the return to the Indigenous community, where this is possible to determine, or to the museum or governmental agency most able to care for them.’

Ancestors are their priority area for repatriation, but overall ‘The Hunterian welcomes Repatriation Claims made by, and on behalf of, the following individuals, groups and public bodies. In particular, The Hunterian welcomes claims which enable the return of cultural heritage to living communities’.

Procedure

• Initial Discussion – addressed to the Director of The Hunterian, with information of provenance. The Hunterian will provide all available information concerning the acquisition and provenance
• Claimant invited to complete the Claim for Repatriation Form with the fullest possible information and send to the Secretary of Court of the University
• The Hunterian will set up a Working Group to assess the claim, including representation from the Hunterian and the Repatriation claimant or their nominated representative. These meetings can be held online.
• Both Claimant and The Hunterian can consult any relevant third parties, and the Working Group is open to receiving a personal presentation, in any format, from the claimant
• The Working Group will complete a form for submission to the Hunterian Strategic Development Board. If the group cannot come to a shared decision, the claimant can submit their own report
• The Board will assess the report and make a recommendation to the University’s Principal, Senior Vice-Principal and Chief Operating Officer for ratification
• Following approval, discussions will begin around transfers

A group of national museums, National Museums Scotland made up of the National Museum of Scotland, National Museum of Flight, the National War Museum, and the National Museum of Rural Life.

In 2022, they agreed to the return of the Ni’isjoohl Memorial Pole to the Nisga’a Nation.

Finding Collections

National Museums Scotland have published a list of all the non-European ancestors in their collections, which you can find here.

You can also search their online collections database here.

Repatriation Policies and Procedures

Due to them being national museums, all returns have to be agreed by the museum’s Board of Trustees and a government minister. Also, claims have to be made by a recognised national agency (e.g. a museum) and be endorsed by a national government.

Human Remains in Collection Policy (2016)

Procedure

• Submitted in writing to the Director setting out the claim with as much supporting evidence as possible
• Full endorsement from the National Government and a recognised National Agency (museum)
• Demonstration there is a direct genealogical descendant of the community whose remains are under claim and/or that it continues to share the same culture (spiritual beliefs, cultural practices) attributed to the community whose remains are under claim. Also provision of evidence of cultural importance, including cultural and spiritual relevance, to the community making the claim and identify the strength of the connection of the community to the remains and the consequences of their return
• The community of claimants would be expected to demonstrate that they are fully supported by all the potential claimant groups
• Where there is no known community with direct geneaological descent or shared culture with the community whose remains are under claim, then the National Government with juridiction over the area where they once lived and the National Agency (Museums) will be treated as acting on their behalf

Procedure for Considering Requests for the Permanent Transfer of Collection Objects to Non-UK Claimants (2021)

Criteria

• The request is submitted by a recognised National Agency (e.g. a National Museum, National Gallery, National Archive, or National Library) proposing to take the object(s) into their ownership, both legally and physically.
• The request is supported by the relevant National Government. This cannot be a level of government below National Government.
• The request is endorsed by a community descended from those to whom the objects are demonstrably ancestral.

The University of Edinburgh has a number of museums, galleries, and collections.

Their Collections Management Policy outlines the different approaches to the return of ancestors and belongings:

Ancestors

Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis following the guidelines in the Guidance for the Care of Human Remains in Scottish Museums (2011).

‘The University’s policy is to return human remains, when so requested, to appropriate representatives of cultures in which such had particular significance, subject to appropriate safeguards.’

Belongings

The Policy outlines a set of criteria and the procedure for the return of belongings as follows:

Criteria

• Evidence of past ownership relating to the item(s)/object(s) concerned and how the University acquired it/them
• Authority of the requester. Requests will only be considered from bona fide groups, representative of the community or culture from which the item(s)/object(s) originated or from individuals or organisations which are able to provide clear prima facie evidence that the item(s) in question are their property. Wherever relevant, claimants would be expected to be supported by the government of the country to which the item(s)/object(s) would be returned, unless exceptional circumstances prevent this
• Proof of cultural, religious or scientific importance of the item(s)/object(s) to the claimant community
• A rigorous assessment of the cultural, religious or scientific importance of the item(s)/object(s) to the University
• The likely consequences of repatriation, for example, in terms of conservation, cataloguing and availability for research and scholarship. The normal expectation is that items would be returned to the care of a museum, library, or equivalent body
• Policy and procedural guidance from recognised external institutions including the Museums Association, the Scottish Museums Council, and the Chartered Institute of Information Professionals, as well as recognised good practice from like institutions
• Guidance from appropriate UK government sources, where available

Procedure

• Initial inquiries should be addressed to the Director of University Collections
• Communication will be conducted with the individual or group making the request to clarify the details of the request and to establish whether they meet the criteria laid out above
• The Director of University Collections will investigate the status of the item(s)/object(s) and prepare a report and recommendation for the University authorities
• The University Court will make the final decision

There is a small section on the National Museums Northern Ireland website about repatriation, which you can find here. In 2022 they returned ancestors and sacred objects to Hawai’i.

The website says that the ‘National Museums Northern Ireland welcomes enquiries about the repatriation or restitution of material in the World Cultures collections. All enquiries should be addressed to Anne Orr, Registrar, National Museums NI.’

‘Provide accession numbers (if known), information about the objects covered by the enquiry, and background as to why a return to the community of origin is being sought.’

Procedure

• The Registrar will acknowledge receipt of the enquiry and schedule a meeting to discuss in more detail
• Following this meeting, a period of further discussion and information gathering and sharing will occur. After these are completed, a formal repatriation proposal may then be made to the CEO of National Museums NI
• The CEO will acknowledge receipt of the formal proposal and provide an indicative timeline for decision making
• The proposal will be presented to National Museums NI’s Board of Trustees for their consideration and decision