Native students at Kansas University are leading an effort to improve the handling and care of more than 5,000 tribal artifacts at the school.

Carla Feathers, Pawnee/Cherokee, told The Lawrence Journal-World that state of the collection is "really saddening." She and other students said items are stuffed in boxes, misidentified and threatened by decay.

Students with the KU Center for Indigenous Nations Studies and museum studies program also say some of the sacred artifacts should be returned to tribes. They are seeking grants to improve the collection.

Separately, KU is negotiating the repatriation of 168 set of unidentifiable remains to 14 tribes. The school is preparing an agreement for the tribes to consider.

Get the Story:
Students 'depressed' by state of American Indian artifacts (The Lawrence Journal-World 5/17)
KU negotiating with tribes to return remains (The Lawrence Journal-World 5/17)

Relevant Links:
Center for Indigenous Nations Studies - http://www.ku.edu/~insp