Repatriation Efforts Are Ongoing at UND After Ancestral Remains Found on Campus

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (KVRR/KFGO) — Repatriation efforts of Native American bones and artifacts are ongoing at UND.

It was one year ago that school officials announced the discovery of ancestral remains on campus.

Under federal law the items must be returned to their appropriate tribal homes.

During a UND town hall meeting, representatives from the Native American compliance committee said the process has been a slow but necessary one, and that they expected to have more of an update in the coming weeks.

“So I won’t give you exact updates as that’s confidential information that I cannot share, but we are continuing the work, um, we remain committed to this. And President Armacost and UND has been great to us,” said Laine Lyons with the UND Alumni Association & Foundation.

In May, UND hired Mary Baker as a compliance liaison officer to assist with the repatriation efforts.