Mukwonago Library returning artifacts to Wilton Rancheria Tribe, originally removed from burial site

 

MUKWONAGO, Wis. (CBS 58) -- With 28,000 square feet, you can imagine the number of books, magazines, and DVDs that are used to fill the inside of the Mukwonago Community Library (MCL).

But what you might not have known is that the library is also home to more than 12,000 Native American artifacts, making it, under federal criteria, a museum.

"In 1965, Arthur Grutzmacher, who was a local collector, passed away," said Library Director Abby Armour. "He willed what was left of his collection to the MCL."

Included in it are arrowheads and tools made out of stone and other materials, many of which can be viewed at the Red Brick Museum on Main St. in downtown Mukwonago.

About two years ago, Armour said the library realized it "needed to comply with the Native American Graves Protection Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).

Thus began the long process of consulting with nine tribes to repatriate some of the items back to their rightful places.

"We are the first public library in Wisconsin and the third public library in the United States to repatriate an item under NAGPRA," Armour said. 

NAGPRA focuses on returning cultural items that were often either removed from graves or used in religious ceremonies -- like the colorful beads taken from a burial site that Armour plans to bring to the Wilton Rancheria tribe in northern California next Thursday.

"We will immediately deliver the items to the tribe," Armour said. "Those items will be home and completely out of our collection and the tribe does intend to re-bury them in a ceremony."

She added she is "incredibly proud" to be a part of the repatriation.

"This item was removed from a grave, and it belongs back home," Armour said. "We're really working to make sure that we're being respectful with these items while at the same time, educating the community about the history of this."

In a release, Wilton Rancheria's NAGPRA Manager gave this statement:

“The Wilton Rancheria Tribe has been working diligently toward the safe and honorable return of their Ancestors and Belongings. Great relationships, like the one we have with the Mukwonago Community Library, are what makes this process easier. We are immensely proud of these partnerships that help us bring them home. This partnership between the Tribe and the Library is a prime example of how repatriation can be accomplished together.”

Armour said the MCL anticipates additional repatriation requests and remains committed to complying with federal measures. 

To learn more about the Grutzmacher Collection, click here.