The Erie County Historical Society and Museum is notifying more than 60 Native American tribes across the country of its intention to return artifacts in its possession to their rightful owners, and seeking identification of their places of origin. As many as 75 artifacts, including handmade baskets and knives, are subject to the 1990 Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act. According to the law, museums and federal agencies are required to review collections and return remains and sacred objects to the respective tribes of origin. But one expert says that few of the items in Erie are candidates for repatriation under the law. James Adovasio, the director of the Mercyhurst Archaeological Institute at Mercyhurst College in Erie County, questioned the museum's decision, stating that information on many of the items is incomplete and the group 'erred on the side of caution' in identifying what could fall under the act's guidelines.
