For decades, one Connecticut history museum has held indigenous artifacts dating as far back as 500 years. Now they've returned them to the Mohegan Tribal Nation.
The Mohegan believe that when someone creates anything, like jewelry or a basket, they put their spirit into it. Mohegan Chief Marylyn Malerba said those spirits couldn’t rest until they returned to Mohegan land.
“These spirits are all going to be peaceful, and they're all going to be at rest because they’re here with their other ancestors and they’re here on their homelands,” Malerba said.
Centuries ago, members of the Mohegan tribe made two works: a traditional woven basket and a ‘Yokeag’ bag, which was used to carry corn. The woven basket was used by healers for medicinal remedies and dates back to the mid 1800s. Malerba says the bag is the oldest artifact, dating back to the 1550s.
“And you can still see the decorative marks on the bag. So the dyes they used, which were all natural-based plant dyes, are still intact,” Malerba said.
In the 1990s, Congress created a way for institutions to return remains or artifacts to tribes in a process known as repatriation. The Mohegan Tribe discovered that the museum had the items and requested that it return the artifacts. The museum denied their request.
Former Museum Director Robert Kret said the museum reviewed the request, consulted experts and decided the artifacts did not meet the legal requirements for repatriation. Kret said he believes that was a mistake.
“Looking back today, it's clear that the disagreement was never just about the law. It was about two different ways of understanding history and stewardship,” Kret said.
Kret said at the time the historical society asked, ‘What do we have to do?' but now he said the museum's focus is ‘What should we do?’ He said that difference represents a profound shift in values from legal obligations to a deeper sense of ethical responsibility.
In 2023, the museum changed its name from the Connecticut Museum to the “Connecticut Museum of Culture and History.” Kret said it reflects how the museum has changed its views in the decades since.
“That change was more than just a new name. It reflected a commitment to placing living communities, not simply historical collections, at the center of our work,” Kret said.
Around that time, the Mohegan tribe called and asked the museum to revisit the initial request. The Museum spent two years in talks with the Mohegan, learning about their culture and visiting their tribal grounds. Kret said those meetings helped them recognize that museums don’t simply preserve the past, but they should build trust with their neighbors in the present.
Tribal leaders marked their return with a ceremony outside the Mohegan Church on tribal grounds in Uncasville. The ceremony included a Gathering Song, a welcoming prayer, and remarks from Tribal and museum leaders. At the homecoming ceremony, Kret, who retired earlier this year, said he has a lot to look back on in his 40-year career.
“Signing the transfer agreement for these objects may well be the most meaningful act of my career,” Kret said. “Not because it involved a large project or a great investment but because it reflects something deeper.”
Malerba said the partnership is meaningful because it’s a way for the tribe and the museum to tell their shared story together. She said it's a happy ending to a long journey.
