They were taken generations ago and kept thousands of miles from the island. Now, a part of Guam's cultural soul is returning.

At the heart of Guam Museum's latest Hita presentation is a moment long in the making: The return of sacred CHamoru artifacts collected more than a century ago by German Anthropologist Paul Hornbostel, later housed at Honolulu’s Bishop Museum.

For years, island leaders, cultural practitioners, and activists have pushed for their return. and now, that call has been answered.

The presentation, titled Iyo-ta Gi Tano’-ta Ta’lo, or “Ours, back in our land again,” highlights not only the physical return of cultural items, but also the spiritual and generational healing they bring.

The Bishop Museum’s Hornbostel Collection includes tools, pottery, and other ancestral pieces that tell the story of survival, innovation, and identity. 

By bringing them home, organizers say, they’re closing a painful chapter of disconnection and reaffirming that CHamoru culture is living, breathing, and unbroken.

The Guam Museum Theater will host the event on Saturday, Sept. 6, from 2 to 3:30 p.m., with a livestream available on social media for the island and diaspora to witness.

For the CHamoru people, this isn’t just a return of artifacts, it’s a return of voices, memories, and belonging.

For more on the hita presentation and Guam Museum’s efforts to safeguard cultural heritage.