🏜️ Historic Repatriation of Sacred Items to Ysleta del Sur Pueblo: A New Era for Indigenous Rights

Celebrating the long-awaited repatriation of cultural heritage to Ysleta del Sur Pueblo after 142 years.

Jan 24, 2025

😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
👧🏾✊🏾👦🏾

🌟 Recently, two significant victories occurred for Indigenous rights: sacred items belonging to the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo are finally returning 🏡 after being in foreign lands for 142 years 🌍, and Arizona's governor pledged 💵 $7 million to support the repatriation of Native American artifacts 🗿. This progress highlights the enduring strength 💪 and resilience of the Tigua people, who have maintained their cultural identity 🌺 despite numerous challenges. However, important questions ❓ remain about the delay ⏳ in returning these items and the true ownership of cultural heritage 🌿.

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🗝️ Takeaways

🙏🏽 Repatriation Victory: Ysleta del Sur Pueblo’s sacred objects are returning home after 142 years.
💰 Financial Support: Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs commits $7 million to repatriation efforts.
🏜️ Cultural Resilience: The Tigua people maintain their traditions and identity despite external pressures.
⚖️ Continuous Fight: Questions remain about the long delays in repatriation and the ownership of cultural heritage.
🌅 A Message for Future Generations: Recent victories emphasize the importance of cultural reconnection for young people.

Sacred Returns: When Our Ancestors Finally Come Home 🙏🏽

Un reflejo de esperanza y justicia: Celebrating two profound victories in the long journey to bring our relatives back to where they belong

¡Queridos parientes y amigos!

My heart overflows with joy and gratitude as I write to you about a week that will be remembered in our ongoing lucha for cultural sovereignty and the return of our sacred relatives. Como dicen los ancianos—as the elders say—when we persist in prayer and action, the universe conspires to bring healing.

Breaking News: Sacred Items Return from Across the Waters 🌊

Today's announcement feels like an answered prayer: the sacred items of our relatives at Ysleta del Sur Pueblo are finally coming home after 142 years in foreign lands.

Senator Ben Ray Luján announced that these precious pieces of our cultural heritage will return from the Nationaal Museum Van Wereldculturen in the Netherlands to their rightful home in El Paso, Texas.

Mi abuela always said that patience is our strongest medicine—how right she was. For generations, the Tigua people have been working to bring these sacred items home, which a Dutch anthropologist named Herman F.C. Ten Kate took in 1882.

Think about that number: 142 years of separation, 142 years of prayers, 142 years of persistent effort.

The People of Two Rivers: Understanding Ysleta del Sur 🏜️

To understand why today's victory resonates so deeply, you need to know the story of the Tigua people of Ysleta del Sur Pueblo. Their journey is written in the waters of two mighty rivers—the Rio Grande, where they now dwell, and the Rio Grande del Norte of their ancestral lands.

When the great Pueblo Revolt of 1680 ignited across what is now New Mexico, many of our people chose a difficult path south rather than submit to the suppression of our sacred ways. Families carried not just their belongings but their entire cultural universe along the Camino Real, eventually establishing Ysleta del Sur in 1682 in what would become El Paso, Texas.

Today, this sovereign nation of approximately 4,200 members stands as a testament to Indigenous resilience and adaptation. Despite centuries of pressure to assimilate, they've maintained:

The sacred Tiwa language that carries our ancestors' wisdom
Traditional governance structures alongside modern administration
Ancient agricultural practices adapted to desert conditions
Feast days that keep the community's spiritual calendar alive

Meanwhile, in Arizona: A $7 Million Promise 💰

And speaking of answered prayers—this week brought another victory that had me lighting sage in gratitude.

Governor Katie Hobbs of Arizona has pledged $7 million to speed up repatriation efforts through the Arizona State Museum. After 33 years of NAGPRA, after countless times hearing "we don't have the resources" or "we need more time," finally, someone put real money behind those empty promises.

Let me tell you what this means en realidad—in reality.

Every year our ancestors spend in museum basements is another year our ceremonies remain incomplete, our connections fragmented. This funding isn't just about money—it's about healing, about restoring balance, about bringing our relatives home.

The Tigua Today: Living Traditions in Modern Times 🌱

Walking through Ysleta del Sur today fills me with hope for our future. The community has found innovative ways to maintain sovereignty while adapting to contemporary challenges:

Speaking Rock Entertainment Center provides economic sustainability
Cultural programs ensure young people stay connected to their roots
Their tribal administration models effective self-governance
Educational initiatives bridge traditional knowledge with modern learning

The Franklin Mountains stand to watch over their lands, a constant reminder of the spiritual connections that survived relocation. Each sunrise brings prayers in ancient words; each sunset closes another day of living traditions.

Why These Victories Matter 🌎

These twin victories—international repatriation and domestic funding—represent more than just individual successes.

They show a shifting consciousness, a growing recognition of what we've always known: our cultural heritage isn't meant to be locked away in museum displays.

These items are living connections to our ancestors, crucial pieces of our cultural continuity.

Questions That Remain ⚖️

But let's keep it real, familia. Important questions still need answers:

Why did it take 142 years for the Netherlands to return what was never theirs?
Why did Arizona need investigative reporting to finally fund basic NAGPRA obligations?
When will institutions finally understand that our cultural heritage isn't their property to "preserve"?

A Message to the Seventh Generation 🌅

To our young ones reading this—remember these victories when the path seems long.

Your elders never stopped fighting for these sacred items, never stopped praying for their return.

Each piece that comes home represents not just a physical return but a spiritual reconnection, a thread rewoven in the fabric of our cultural sovereignty.

Moving Forward Together: The Work Continues ✊🏽

As the sun sets over the Franklin Mountains tonight, casting long shadows across Ysleta del Sur, I feel both grateful and determined. Grateful for these victories, for the persistence of our people, for the growing recognition of our sovereignty. But determined too—because we know this work isn't finished.

To our Tigua relatives—¡enhorabuena! Your victory lights the way for all of us. To Governor Hobbs—gracias for backing words with action. And to all our ancestors still waiting in museum boxes and storage facilities—keep watching. We haven't forgotten you. We never will.

¿Qué piensas, familia? Share your thoughts below: What does repatriation mean to your community? How can we support each other in bringing our relatives home? Let's keep this conversation going. ❤️