Gi Kay: Nambí Ówingeh Gi Weh Pówá

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EXHIBITION OPENING

OCTOBER 16, 2026 • 10:00 AM

More than 120 years after leaving the Pueblo of Pojoaque, these pottery vessels have returned home. Collected in 1903 and held in museum collections for generations, they came home through repatriation from the University of California, Berkeley and an ethical return from the American Museum of Natural History in New York. This exhibition honors their journey home and the generations of Pojoaque people whose history, knowledge, and connection continue through them.

Coast to coast, the
pots return home

These vessels left the Pueblo of Pojoaque in 1903 and stayed in museum collections for generations. Their return honors the generations of Pojoaque people whose history, knowledge, and connection continue through them.

  • 1903

     

    Collected at Pojoaque

    The vessels are collected and leave the Pueblo of Pojoaque.

  • 123 years

     

    Held in museums for generations.

  • 2026

     

    Pottery returns home.

    Home at the Poeh Cultural Center. The exhibition opens October 16.

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Two Paths Home

Repatriation

University of California, Berkeley

4 came home through repatriation.

Tribal members first visit to UC Berkeley to see pottery.

Second visit historic pottery held at UC Berkeley as part of the Pueblo’s repatriation efforts.

A Pojoaque pottery vessel is carefully handled and documented during a collections visit to UC Berkeley.

Ethical return

American Museum of Natural History, New York

4 returned by the museum as an ethical return.

Pojoaque tribal members spend time with historic pottery at the American Museum of Natural History as part of the process of bringing the vessels home.

Pojoaque tribal members examine and document historic pottery during a collections visit to the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

Reuniting Pojoaque Tribal members with historic pottery at the American Museum of Natural History.

123 years & 25 days later…

Returning Home

On August 22, 2026, 8 vessels arrived back to the Pueblo of Pojoaque.

Both collections from Berkeley and New York returned on the same shipment to the Poeh.

Both collections from Berkeley and New York returned on the same shipment to the Poeh.

Poeh staff/Tribal members receive crates at the Poeh.

A few days later after acclimation, pots are taken out of crates and placed on tables for viewing.

Poeh staff unpack pottery for Tribal member viewing.

Tribal members are able to visit with the pots now that they have returned home.

MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH PARTNERSHIP

The return of these historic pottery vessels to the Pueblo of Pojoaque was made possible through the support, collaboration, and commitment of our funding and museum partners. Their support helped make possible the research, travel, consultation, collections work, return, and exhibition of these vessels at the Poeh Cultural Center.

Heart Heart WITH GENEROUS SUPPORT FROM

We gratefully acknowledge the funders whose support made this project and the journey home possible.

| Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation

| Henry Luce Foundation

| Institute of Museum and Library Services

| First Nations Development Institute

Arrows-ccw Arrows-ccw IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Recognizing the museum partners who worked with the Pueblo of Pojoaque to support the return of these historic pottery vessels.

| University of California, Berkeley

| American Museum of Natural History, New York