12th Annual Repatriation Conference

Virtual Conference | Every Thursday & Friday in February 2027

The fire has been fed—now we tend to the flames to prepare for the journey home.

Repatriation is the return of Native bodies and cultural heritage to Native Peoples’ control. The Association on American Indian Affairs is an international leader providing training, critical thinking, and strategies for the return of Ancestors, as well as tangible and intangible cultural heritage. The Association’s Annual Repatriation Conference brings a wealth of expertise and opportunities together for anyone working to protect Native Peoples’ cultural heritage.

“Tending the Fire – Sustaining the Journey Home” builds on the momentum of past Repatriation Conferences and calls us to look toward the future. The 12th Annual Repatriation Conference will give practical training in areas of domestic and international repatriation, critical thinking opportunities to develop strategies, networking breaks to build relationships, and intergenerational healing tools to support a healthy working environment, to build capacity for Native Nations, allies, and institutions.

The Association welcomes all Conference attendees to this fully virtual conference that is intended for Native Nation and Native Hawaiian Organization leaders, practitioners, Elders and representatives, museums, institutions, government agencies, academics, attorneys, collectors, artists, cultural preservationists and others engaged or interested in the return of diverse cultural heritage.