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Native America Calling: Santa Ana Pueblo works to recover cultural items from 40-year-old burglaries
Tuesday, August 26, 2025

Santa Ana Pueblo works to recover cultural items from 40-year-old burglaries
The Pueblo of Santa Ana, a federally recognized tribe in New Mexico, is celebrating the return of a clay bowl that was stolen in 1984.

But the bowl is only one out of nearly 150 irreplaceable items that were taken during a series of burglaries and never recovered. Investigators believe the items were eventually sold to collectors around the world and authorities never tracked them down.

Tune into Native America Calling to check in on the tribe’s renewed efforts to find and bring the items back home.

Pueblo of Santa Ana
A bowl stolen from the Pueblo of Santa Ana was recently returned to the tribe in New Mexico. Photo: Pueblo of Santa Tribal Historic Preservation Office

Also, get updates on other repatriation efforts, including tribes and lawmakers putting renewed pressure on the University of California over its failure to return remains and artifacts required by law.

Guests on Native America Calling
Shannon O’Loughlin (Choctaw), chief executive and attorney of the Association on American Indian Affairs, a national organization

Jack Potter Jr., Chairman of the Redding Rancheria, headquartered in California

Myron Armijo, Governor of the Pueblo of Santa Ana in New Mexico

Monica Murrell, tribal historic preservation officer and director of the Pueblo of Santa Ana Tribal Historic Preservation Office in New Mexico

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