In December’s meeting, the State Committee of Legislative Oversight and Investigations heard opinions on repatriating, or returning, Native American artifacts. Officials said the historical items, located at Pioneer Museum in Blue Licks State Park, are now owned by the Shawnee Tribe and will remain in the Commonwealth.
Sarah Cronan, an attorney with the Department of Parks, said the transfer will not affect Blue Licks State Park’s operations.
“The Pioneer Museum will not close due to the repatriation of these artifacts, which account for only 12.5% of the entire museum collection. Plans are underway to introduce new exhibits to highlight Native American history and the prehistory of the area,” said Cronan.
Cronan said Kentucky State Parks received a letter from the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs demanding the return under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
Steve West, Kentucky Senator of the 27th district, led the discussion against the repatriation of items at the Blue Lick’s Pioneer Museum. He said the park was important to community members and the Department of Parks did not clearly communicate their intentions.
“A group of 2,000 people in the area signed a petition to prevent this, to stop this, to get more information on what was happening in the park. The population of Robertson County is 2,300 people. So, that gives you an idea. This is a hot-button issue in that area. The people of the area love their park, and they want to see it protected,” said West.
The returned items are of sacred, funerary, and cultural significance to the native peoples of the region. Representatives from local native American tribes attended the meeting but did not comment on the proposed repatriation.