Denver—August 2, 2024—The Denver Art Museum is working with the Central Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (CCTHITA) to review works in the museum’s collection attributed to their community. Earlier this summer, DAM Director Christoph Heinrich sent a letter directly to the president of CCTHITA, Richard Chalyee Éesh Peterson, to establish communications at multiple levels. The museum’s Native Arts department staff is working directly with the Council’s NAGPRA representatives who wished to start anew with a review of our collection and determine how they would like to proceed. The museum’s Native Arts team has shared our full inventory with the Tlingit and Haida tribes, along with provenance information.
At their request for time to review, we agreed to reconnect in August. We look forward to connecting at our next meeting, and our team is committed to honoring and supporting their wishes and respecting their sovereignty.
For all questions and comments, please email comments@denvertartmuseum.org.
