In 2024, the Association reviewed over 36,500 items identified as originating from Native Nations in North America, including Hawai’i, and flagged more than 20,200 as potentially sensitive.
That year, the Association reported on 288 auctions–253 in at least 16 U.S. states and 35 countries abroad.
So far this year we have already reported 209 auctions selling over 13,900 potentially sensitive items.
If this increase in total auctions continues at this rate the total number of auctions could reach 500.
In comparison, 2021 saw 163 auctions and 7,733 flagged items; 2020 included 190 auctions and 1,117 items; and 2019 saw 63 auctions and 3,721 flagged items.
Background
Native cultural heritage items and Ancestors have long been the target of theft and looting by collectors seeking to line their shelves or their pockets.
These sensitive items are often referred to by collectors and dealers as “antiquities,” “artifacts,” or “art.” However, Native cultural heritage items are held communally by Native Nations and cannot be removed without consent at the time the item was originally taken. T
hose who claim rightful possession must be able to prove it under federal, state or Native Nation laws.
Domestic and international legal frameworks affirm that Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples have civil and human rights to manifest and practice their cultures without interference.
The right to protect sacred cultural items is no different than the right to prevent someone from walking into a church or cemetery and looting it for personal gain.
