Smithsonian Names Members of Its Human Remains Task Force

The Smithsonian has named 13 members for its task force on human remains, which will develop a policy that addresses the future of the Institution’s human remains collection. The task force will hold its first meeting May 24.

The National Museum of Natural History possesses 30,000 human remains from the 18th and early 19th centuries and has been gradually repatriating remains since 1989. The group will recommend a policy for the appropriate handling of human remains in the Smithsonian’s collection, including Native and non-Native remains and will promote respectful engagement with descendants and descendant communities.

The task force members are:

• Ellen Stofan, co-chair, Smithsonian’s Under Secretary for Science and Research
• Kevin Gover, co-chair, Smithsonian’s Under Secretary for Museums and Culture
• Craig Blackwell, associate general counsel in the Smithsonian’s Office of the General Counsel
• Michael Blakey, Ph.D., professor of anthropology and American studies at the College of William & Mary
• Philip Deloria, professor of history at Harvard University 
• Celia Emmelhainz, supervisory anthropologist, National Anthropological Archives and Human Studies Film Archives at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History
• Richard Kurin, Distinguished Scholar and Ambassador-at-Large at the Smithsonian
• Gabrielle Miller, program specialist and archaeologist at the Center for the Study of Global Slavery at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture
• Rick Potts, chair of anthropology at the National Museum of Natural History
• David Resnik, Ph.D., bioethicist at the National Institutes of Health
• Marguerite Roby, photograph archivist at Smithsonian Libraries and Archives
• Sabrina Sholts, curator of biological anthropology at the National Museum of Natural History
• Reed Tuckson, M.D., managing director of Tuckson Health Connections
• Sally Yerkovich, Ph.D., director of educational exchange and special projects at The American-Scandinavian Foundation and adjunct professor at Columbia University
• Kevin Young, Andrew W. Mellon Director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture

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SI-166-2023