Tribes seek to repatriate ancestral remains uncovered in Idaho

Wednesday, February 7, 2018  

The Nez Perce Tribe, the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes are seeking to repatriate ancestral remains uncovered in Idaho.

The remains of a young adult and a child were found in a badger hole in April 2017, the Elmore County Sheriff's Department said at the time. A follow-up post in July said the ancestors were dated sometime between the 1400s to 1600s.

"We've always pointed out that we've been here for thousands of years," Shoshone-Paiute Chairman Ted Howard told The Associated Press. "For our tribe and the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, those are the remains of our people, our ancestors."

The Bureau of Land Management has custody of the remains. The agency is considering whether to return them to the tribes under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, the AP reported.

The remains were discovered a few miles north of Mountain Home, the seat of Elmore County.

Read More on the Story:
Tribes seek Native American bones found at unique Idaho site (The Associated Press February 7, 2018)

Shoshone-Paiute Tribes lay claim to ancestral remains uncovered in Idaho (July 20, 2017)