Letter to John Kerry, Secretary of State - Halt French Auction of Sacred Native American Artifacts

Letter

Dear Secretary Kerry:

I write to urge the Department of State to take all possible action to help repatriate stolen cultural items to Native American tribes. The United States must do everything in its power to ensure that priceless Native American cultural artifacts are returned to the rightful homes instead of being sold off to the highest bidder.

The Pueblo of Acoma has identified an item as cultural patrimony that is set for auction in France on May 30, 2016. The Pueblo has previously been unable to halt foreign auction of their cultural patrimony, which has resulted in profound damage to the Pueblo's control over their own sacred objects. I urge you to work with your French counterparts to halt the auction before more of the Pueblo's cultural history is sold off into private collections.

I have included the Pueblo's original request to you and Attorney General Loretta Lynch with this letter. If you or your staff have any additional questions, I encourage you to contact my staff, Ernesto_Rodriguez@heinrich.senate.gov.

I appreciate your timely response in this important matter.

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