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Repatriations | Native Village of Kotzebue

Through consultation with the NAGPRA Coordinator, Kotzebue IRA, the human remains of one individual were determined to be culturally affiliated with the Native Village of Kotzebue and subsequently repatriated in December of 2002.

In 1895, this individual was removed from an unknown location on the Choris Peninsula in Kotzebue Sound, AK by Mr. Benjamin Sharp. Mr. Sharp collected these human remains for the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia and the human remains ultimately became part of what has often been referred to as the “Morton Collection.” The collection was loaned to the Penn Museum in 1966 and then, to facilitate the implementation of NAGPRA, was legally transferred to the Penn Museum on September 15, 1997.

Notice of Inventory Completion