Illinois
Institutions reported making 2% of the more than 15,500 Native American remains taken from Illinois available for return to tribes under NAGPRA.
There are 15 institutions located in Illinois that reported Native American remains taken from across the country.
Institution | Remains Not Made Available for Return | Remains Made Available for Return | % of Remains Made Available for Return |
---|---|---|---|
Illinois State Museum | 7,110 | 196 | 3% |
Center for American Archeology, Kampsville Archeological Center | 1,947 | 0 | 0% |
Field Museum | 1,298 | 565 | 30% |
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Center for Archaeological Investigations | 846 | 0 | 0% |
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign | 761 | 58 | 7% |
U.S. Department of Defense | 81 | 0 | 0% |
Western Illinois University | 26 | 0 | 0% |
U.S. Department of Agriculture | 25 | 0 | 0% |
Cook County Forest Preserve District | 23 | 0 | 0% |
U.S. Department of the Interior | 13 | 0 | 0% |
Elgin Public Museum | 5 | 0 | 0% |
Aurora Historical Society | 3 | 0 | 0% |
Madison County Historical Society | 3 | 1 | 25% |
Bess Bower Dunn Museum | 0 | 48 | 100% |
Evanston History Center | 0 | 2 | 100% |
There are 61 institutions that reported Native American remains taken from Illinois.
Institution | Remains Not Made Available for Return | Remains Made Available for Return | % of Remains Made Available for Return |
---|---|---|---|
Illinois State Museum | 6,762 | 146 | 2% |
Indiana University | 3,395 | 29 | 1% |
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 | 34 | 4% |
U.S. Department of Defense | 478 | 0 | 0% |
Harvard University | 269 | 2 | 1% |
Field Museum | 264 | 1 | 0% |
Gilcrease Museum | 116 | 0 | 0% |
University of Michigan Museum of Anthropology | 85 | 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% |
Cook County Forest Preserve District | 23 | 0 | 0% |
Florida State University, Department of Anthropology | 21 | 0 | 0% |
Stanford University Heritage Services | 20 | 0 | 0% |
Grand Rapids Public Museum | 13 | 0 | 0% |
U.S. Department of the Interior | 13 | 1 | 7% |
University of Iowa, Office of the State Archaeologist | 13 | 56 | 81% |
University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology | 10 | 0 | 0% |
Hastings Museum | 6 | 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% |
Aurora Historical Society | 3 | 0 | 0% |
Elgin Public Museum | 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% |
Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne-Archaeological Survey | 0 | 1 | 100% |
Library Company of Philadelphia | 0 | 1 | 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 96 tribes.
Tribe | Remains Made Available for Return to Tribe |
---|---|
Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma | 266 |
Prairie Band of Potawatomi Nation | 141 |
Sac and Fox Nation, Oklahoma | 141 |
Hannahville Indian Community, Michigan | 140 |
Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska | 140 |
Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa | 140 |
Forest County Potawatomi Community, Wisconsin | 138 |
Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Oklahoma | 137 |
Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians of the Bad River Reservation, Wisconsin | 116 |
Bois Forte Band (Nett Lake) of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota | 116 |
Fond du Lac Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota | 116 |
Grand Portage Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota | 116 |
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Michigan | 116 |
Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin | 116 |
Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of the Lac du Flambeau Reservation of Wisconsin | 116 |
Leech Lake Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota | 116 |
Mille Lacs Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota | 116 |
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota | 116 |
Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin | 116 |
Sokaogon Chippewa Community, Wisconsin | 116 |
White Earth Band of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota | 116 |
Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin | 109 |
Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska | 108 |
Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska | 104 |
Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma | 102 |
Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma | 95 |
Santee Sioux Nation, Nebraska | 91 |
Miami Tribe of Oklahoma | 90 |
Yankton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota | 89 |
Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe of South Dakota | 85 |
Lower Sioux Indian Community in the State of Minnesota | 85 |
Prairie Island Indian Community in the State of Minnesota | 85 |
Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, Michigan and Indiana | 80 |
Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, Michigan (formerly the Huron Potawatomi, Inc.) | 78 |
Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians of Michigan | 76 |
Kickapoo Tribe of Indians of the Kickapoo Reservation in Kansas | 73 |
Omaha Tribe of Nebraska | 69 |
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of the Cheyenne River Reservation, South Dakota | 67 |
Oglala Sioux Tribe | 67 |
Osage Nation | 67 |
Spirit Lake Tribe, North Dakota | 67 |
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North and South Dakota | 67 |
Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma | 65 |
Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota | 65 |
Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians of North Dakota | 65 |
Upper Sioux Community, Minnesota | 63 |
Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma | 62 |
Delaware Nation, Oklahoma | 62 |
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 |
Bay Mills Indian Community, Michigan | 58 |
Chippewa Cree Indians of the Rocky Boy's Reservation, Montana | 58 |
Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Michigan | 58 |
Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma | 58 |
Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Michigan | 58 |
Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, Michigan | 58 |
Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma | 58 |
Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, Minnesota | 58 |
Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan | 58 |
Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Michigan | 58 |
St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin | 58 |
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 |
Crow Creek Sioux Tribe of the Crow Creek Reservation, South Dakota | 27 |
Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community of Minnesota | 27 |
Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Michigan | 24 |
Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana | 23 |
Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma | 11 |
Ponca Tribe of Nebraska | 11 |
Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma | 10 |
Rosebud Sioux Tribe of the Rosebud Indian Reservation, South Dakota | 9 |
Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas | 6 |
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 |
Shawnee Tribe | 3 |
Tonkawa Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma | 3 |
Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma | 2 |
Lower Brule Sioux Tribe of the Lower Brule Reservation, South Dakota | 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 84 counties in Illinois.
County | Remains Taken From County Not Made Available for Return | Remains Made Available for Return | % of Remains Made Available for Return |
---|---|---|---|
Fulton County | 3,148 | 5 | 0% |
Greene County | 1,541 | 0 | 0% |
Calhoun County | 1,163 | 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% |
Will County | 570 | 3 | 1% |
Adams County | 486 | 7 | 1% |
Jersey County | 376 | 0 | 0% |
Whiteside County | 346 | 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 | 102 | 7 | 6% |
Cook County | 88 | 2 | 2% |
Marshall County | 75 | 0 | 0% |
Hardin County | 72 | 0 | 0% |
Tazewell County | 62 | 0 | 0% |
Hancock County | 51 | 3 | 6% |
Mason County | 48 | 0 | 0% |
Massac County | 46 | 0 | 0% |
Rock Island County | 44 | 38 | 46% |
Lake County | 41 | 35 | 46% |
Perry County | 33 | 1 | 3% |
Union County | 30 | 0 | 0% |
Scott County | 29 | 0 | 0% |
Kane County | 26 | 20 | 43% |
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% |
Williamson County | 10 | 0 | 0% |
Gallatin County | 9 | 0 | 0% |
Henry County | 9 | 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% |
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.
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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 [email protected]. 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