Illinois
Institutions reported making 15% of the more than 15,900 Native American remains taken from Illinois available for return to tribes under NAGPRA.
There are 16 institutions located in Illinois that reported Native American remains taken from across the country.
Illinois State Museum | 5,801 | 1,522 | 21% |
Center for American Archeology, Kampsville Archeological Center | 1,947 | 0 | 0% |
Field Museum | 1,288 | 594 | 32% |
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Center for Archaeological Investigations | 846 | 0 | 0% |
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign | 761 | 190 | 20% |
Northwestern Univ., Dept. of Anthropology | 53 | 0 | 0% |
U.S. Department of Defense | 33 | 0 | 0% |
Western Illinois University | 26 | 0 | 0% |
U.S. Department of Agriculture | 25 | 0 | 0% |
U.S. Department of the Interior | 23 | 0 | 0% |
Aurora Historical Society | 3 | 0 | 0% |
Madison County Historical Society | 3 | 1 | 25% |
Bess Bower Dunn Museum | 0 | 48 | 100% |
Chicago History Museum | 0 | 1 | 100% |
Evanston History Center | 0 | 2 | 100% |
Northern Illinois Univ. | 0 | 5 | 100% |
There are 61 institutions that reported Native American remains taken from Illinois.
Illinois State Museum | 5,452 | 1,472 | 21% |
Indiana University | 3,170 | 510 | 14% |
Center for American Archeology, Kampsville Archeological Center | 1,937 | 0 | 0% |
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Center for Archaeological Investigations | 785 | 0 | 0% |
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign | 735 | 166 | 18% |
U.S. Department of Defense | 478 | 0 | 0% |
Harvard University | 269 | 2 | 1% |
Field Museum | 261 | 1 | 0% |
Gilcrease Museum | 116 | 0 | 0% |
University of Michigan Museum of Anthropology | 85 | 0 | 0% |
Northwestern Univ., Dept. of Anthropology | 50 | 0 | 0% |
Mutter Museum, College of Physicians of Philadelphia | 38 | 1 | 3% |
Western Illinois University | 26 | 0 | 0% |
American Museum of Natural History | 25 | 2 | 7% |
U.S. Department of Agriculture | 25 | 0 | 0% |
University of Missouri, Columbia, Museum of Anthropology | 24 | 0 | 0% |
U.S. Department of the Interior | 23 | 1 | 4% |
Florida State University, Department of Anthropology | 21 | 0 | 0% |
Stanford University Heritage Services | 20 | 0 | 0% |
University of Iowa, Office of the State Archaeologist | 13 | 58 | 82% |
University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology | 10 | 0 | 0% |
Robert S. Peabody Institute of Archaeology, Phillips Academy | 6 | 0 | 0% |
University of Nebraska State Museum | 5 | 7 | 58% |
University of Wyoming | 5 | 0 | 0% |
Hastings Museum | 4 | 0 | 0% |
Aurora Historical Society | 3 | 0 | 0% |
New York State Museum | 3 | 0 | 0% |
University of Kansas | 3 | 0 | 0% |
Brigham Young University, Museum of Peoples and Cultures | 2 | 0 | 0% |
Madison County Historical Society | 2 | 0 | 0% |
Rochester Museum and Science Center | 2 | 0 | 0% |
State Museum of Pennsylvania | 2 | 0 | 0% |
University of New Mexico, Maxwell Museum of Anthropology | 2 | 0 | 0% |
University of Northern Iowa | 2 | 0 | 0% |
Cleveland Museum of Natural History | 1 | 0 | 0% |
Dayton Museum of Natural History | 1 | 0 | 0% |
Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites Corporation, State of Indiana | 1 | 0 | 0% |
Louisiana State Exhibit Museum | 1 | 0 | 0% |
Milwaukee Public Museum | 1 | 0 | 0% |
New York University, College of Dentistry | 1 | 0 | 0% |
Palmer Foundation for Chiropractic History | 1 | 0 | 0% |
Springfield Science Museum | 1 | 0 | 0% |
Sullivan County Historical Society, Inc. | 1 | 0 | 0% |
University of Arizona, Arizona State Museum | 1 | 0 | 0% |
University of California, Berkeley | 1 | 0 | 0% |
Wichita State University, Department of Anthropology | 1 | 0 | 0% |
Wisconsin Historical Society | 1 | 0 | 0% |
Beloit College, Logan Museum of Anthropology | 0 | 4 | 100% |
Bess Bower Dunn Museum | 0 | 34 | 100% |
Coe College | 0 | 4 | 100% |
Denver Museum of Nature and Science | 0 | 3 | 100% |
Evanston History Center | 0 | 2 | 100% |
Grand Rapids Public Museum | 0 | 13 | 100% |
Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne-Archaeological Survey | 0 | 1 | 100% |
Library Company of Philadelphia | 0 | 1 | 100% |
Northern Illinois Univ. | 0 | 2 | 100% |
Oregon State University | 0 | 18 | 100% |
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History | 0 | 1 | 100% |
U.S. Department of Justice | 0 | 1 | 100% |
University of Arkansas | 0 | 11 | 100% |
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Department of Anthropology | 0 | 22 | 100% |
Institutions made Native American remains taken from Illinois available for return to 97 tribes.
Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma | 2,217 |
Prairie Band of Potawatomi Nation | 2,095 |
Forest County Potawatomi Community, Wisconsin | 2,091 |
Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin | 2,062 |
Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska | 2,061 |
Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska | 2,057 |
Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma | 2,046 |
Miami Tribe of Oklahoma | 2,043 |
Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, Michigan and Indiana | 2,033 |
Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians of Michigan | 2,029 |
Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, Michigan (formerly the Huron Potawatomi, Inc.) | 2,029 |
Osage Nation | 1,392 |
Hannahville Indian Community, Michigan | 766 |
Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Oklahoma | 765 |
Sac and Fox Nation, Oklahoma | 754 |
Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska | 753 |
Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa | 753 |
Fond du Lac Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota | 742 |
Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma | 728 |
Kickapoo Tribe of Indians of the Kickapoo Reservation in Kansas | 686 |
Omaha Tribe of Nebraska | 684 |
Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma | 678 |
Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma | 675 |
Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas | 619 |
Shawnee Tribe | 618 |
Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma | 615 |
Mille Lacs Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota | 261 |
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota | 131 |
Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians of the Bad River Reservation, Wisconsin | 129 |
Bois Forte Band (Nett Lake) of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota | 129 |
Grand Portage Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota | 129 |
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Michigan | 129 |
Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin | 129 |
Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of the Lac du Flambeau Reservation of Wisconsin | 129 |
Leech Lake Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota | 129 |
Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin | 129 |
White Earth Band of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota | 129 |
Sokaogon Chippewa Community, Wisconsin | 116 |
Santee Sioux Nation, Nebraska | 104 |
Yankton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota | 102 |
Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe of South Dakota | 98 |
Lower Sioux Indian Community in the State of Minnesota | 98 |
Prairie Island Indian Community in the State of Minnesota | 98 |
Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians of North Dakota | 78 |
Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Michigan | 73 |
Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan | 73 |
Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Michigan | 73 |
Bay Mills Indian Community, Michigan | 71 |
Chippewa Cree Indians of the Rocky Boy's Reservation, Montana | 71 |
Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Michigan | 71 |
Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, Michigan | 71 |
Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma | 71 |
Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, Minnesota | 71 |
St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin | 71 |
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of the Cheyenne River Reservation, South Dakota | 67 |
Oglala Sioux Tribe | 67 |
Spirit Lake Tribe, North Dakota | 67 |
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North and South Dakota | 67 |
Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota | 65 |
Delaware Nation, Oklahoma | 64 |
Upper Sioux Community, Minnesota | 63 |
Kaw Nation, Oklahoma | 62 |
Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin | 61 |
United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma | 60 |
Delaware Tribe of Indians | 59 |
Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate of the Lake Traverse Reservation, South Dakota | 59 |
Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma | 58 |
Crow Creek Sioux Tribe of the Crow Creek Reservation, South Dakota | 40 |
Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community of Minnesota | 40 |
Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Michigan | 37 |
Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana | 36 |
Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Montana | 35 |
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians | 35 |
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation | 34 |
Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma | 13 |
Ponca Tribe of Nebraska | 11 |
Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma | 10 |
Rosebud Sioux Tribe of the Rosebud Indian Reservation, South Dakota | 9 |
Cayuga Nation | 4 |
Oneida Indian Nation in New York | 4 |
Oneida Nation of Wisconsin | 4 |
Onondaga Nation | 4 |
Quapaw Nation | 4 |
Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe | 4 |
Seneca Nation of Indians | 4 |
Seneca-Cayuga Nation | 4 |
Tonawanda Band of Seneca | 4 |
Tuscarora Nation | 4 |
Quechan Tribe of the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation, California and Arizona | 3 |
Tonkawa Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma | 3 |
Lower Brule Sioux Tribe of the Lower Brule Reservation, South Dakota | 2 |
None | 2 |
Cherokee Nation | 1 |
Crow Tribe of Montana | 1 |
Muscogee (Creek) Nation | 1 |
Stockbridge Munsee Community, Wisconsin | 1 |
Wyandotte Nation | 1 |
Institutions reported Native American remains taken from 85 counties in Illinois.
Fulton County | 1,835 | 1,330 | 42% |
Greene County | 1,544 | 0 | 0% |
Calhoun County | 1,162 | 0 | 0% |
Pike County | 1,157 | 0 | 0% |
St. Clair County | 1,062 | 0 | 0% |
Madison County | 700 | 13 | 2% |
Saline County | 687 | 0 | 0% |
Adams County | 486 | 7 | 1% |
Will County | 390 | 616 | 61% |
Jersey County | 376 | 0 | 0% |
Whiteside County | 351 | 0 | 0% |
LaSalle County | 284 | 59 | 17% |
Clinton County | 278 | 0 | 0% |
Brown County | 232 | 3 | 1% |
Henderson County | 210 | 3 | 1% |
Moultrie County | 204 | 0 | 0% |
Peoria County | 192 | 0 | 0% |
Jackson County | 181 | 0 | 0% |
Schuyler County | 170 | 0 | 0% |
White County | 139 | 1 | 1% |
Randolph County | 134 | 93 | 41% |
Monroe County | 120 | 0 | 0% |
Jo Daviess County | 93 | 19 | 17% |
Cook County | 81 | 2 | 2% |
Marshall County | 75 | 1 | 1% |
Hardin County | 72 | 0 | 0% |
Tazewell County | 62 | 0 | 0% |
Rock Island County | 53 | 38 | 42% |
Hancock County | 51 | 3 | 6% |
Massac County | 46 | 0 | 0% |
Mason County | 45 | 0 | 0% |
Lake County | 41 | 35 | 46% |
Union County | 41 | 0 | 0% |
Perry County | 33 | 1 | 3% |
Scott County | 29 | 0 | 0% |
Kane County | 25 | 21 | 46% |
Johnson County | 24 | 0 | 0% |
Cass County | 23 | 0 | 0% |
Mercer County | 17 | 0 | 0% |
Alexander County | 16 | 0 | 0% |
Woodford County | 16 | 0 | 0% |
Pope County | 15 | 0 | 0% |
McLean County | 14 | 0 | 0% |
Ogle County | 14 | 0 | 0% |
Sangamon County | 14 | 0 | 0% |
Vermilion County | 14 | 0 | 0% |
Kendall County | 12 | 0 | 0% |
Putnam County | 10 | 0 | 0% |
Gallatin County | 9 | 0 | 0% |
Williamson County | 9 | 0 | 0% |
Henry County | 8 | 0 | 0% |
Lee County | 8 | 0 | 0% |
McDonough County | 8 | 0 | 0% |
Crawford County | 7 | 0 | 0% |
Morgan County | 7 | 0 | 0% |
De Witt County | 6 | 0 | 0% |
Lawrence County | 6 | 0 | 0% |
Washington County | 6 | 0 | 0% |
McHenry County | 5 | 1 | 17% |
Shelby County | 5 | 0 | 0% |
Carroll County | 4 | 0 | 0% |
Clark County | 4 | 0 | 0% |
Macoupin County | 4 | 0 | 0% |
Champaign County | 3 | 0 | 0% |
Kankakee County | 3 | 0 | 0% |
Knox County | 3 | 0 | 0% |
Macon County | 3 | 0 | 0% |
Winnebago County | 3 | 2 | 40% |
Bureau County | 2 | 0 | 0% |
Grundy County | 2 | 10 | 83% |
Jefferson County | 2 | 0 | 0% |
Livingston County | 2 | 0 | 0% |
Menard County | 2 | 0 | 0% |
Piatt County | 2 | 0 | 0% |
Christian County | 1 | 0 | 0% |
Cumberland County | 1 | 0 | 0% |
Ford County | 1 | 0 | 0% |
Franklin County | 1 | 0 | 0% |
Iroquois County | 1 | 0 | 0% |
Logan County | 1 | 0 | 0% |
Montgomery County | 1 | 11 | 92% |
Pulaski County | 1 | 0 | 0% |
Wayne County | 1 | 0 | 0% |
DeKalb County | 0 | 1 | 100% |
Edwards County | 0 | 1 | 100% |
Know how an institution is handling repatriation? Have a personal story to share? We'd like to hear from you.
Watch an informational webinar with our reporters.
This tool presents a dataset maintained by the National Park Service containing all the Native American human remains and associated funerary objects that institutions have reported to the federal government under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. The dataset includes information about the state and county where remains and objects were taken from, which institutions hold them and whether they have been made available for return to tribes.
The data is self-reported by institutions. The amount of unrepatriated Native American remains reported by institutions is a minimum estimate of individuals and institutions frequently adjust these numbers when they reinventory groups of remains. Some institutions that are subject to NAGPRA have also entirely failed to report the remains in their possession. As a result, the numbers provided are best taken as estimates. The actual number and geographic scope of what’s held by publicly funded institutions is larger than what is presently documented.
ProPublica supplemented this dataset with information about cultural affiliation and disposition to specific tribes by systematically parsing the text of Notices of Inventory Completion published in the Federal Register. An additional dataset from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Tribal Directory Assessment Tool, was used for the section on remains not made available for return from counties that each tribe has indicated interest in to the federal government.
Institution location and tribal headquarters location information was provided by National NAGPRA. The location of some groups that are not federally recognized was provided through research by ProPublica.
Institutions that are part of a larger entity are grouped. (For example, the Mesa Verde National Park is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior.)
Institutions that have not submitted information to the federal government are not listed. The Smithsonian Institution is not listed because its repatriation process falls under the National Museum of the American Indian Act and it is not required to publicly report its holdings with the same detail as institutions subject to NAGPRA.
If you work for an institution and would like to provide comment on your institution’s repatriation efforts, please email repatriation@propublica.org. If you think the data is incorrect or have a data request, please get in touch. We are aware of some issues with the accuracy of location information and tribes mistakenly being identified for disposition of Native American remains in published notices.
If you want to share something else with ProPublica, we’d like to hear from you.
If you have questions about implementing or complying with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, get in touch with National NAGPRA or the NAGPRA Community of Practice.
We use the word “tribes” to refer to all groups that institutions made Native American remains available to under NAGPRA. This includes tribes, nations, bands, pueblos, communities, Native Alaskan villages, Native Hawaiian organizations and non-federally recognized groups.
Data sources from Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National NAGPRA Program, the Federal Register, Department of Housing and Development, Tribal Directory Assessment Tool