00                      SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 16                                                                    
01 Urging the American Museum of Natural History to repatriate the Childs Frick-Alaska                                     
02 Quaternary Mammal Collection to Alaska.                                                                                 
03 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
04 WHEREAS the Childs Frick-Alaska Quaternary Mammal Collection, consisting of                                           
05 animal bones collected by Otto Geist on land in and around Fairbanks, represents a valuable                             
06 scientific resource for understanding the natural history and ecological dynamics of the state;                         
07 and                                                                                                                     
08       WHEREAS the collection is currently held by the American Museum of Natural                                      
09 History, an institution dedicated to scientific research, education, and the preservation of                            
10 cultural and natural heritage; and                                                                                      
11       WHEREAS, in a letter dated April 14, 1954, Childs Frick of the American Museum                                  
12 of Natural History stated the intention to return the collection to the state, acknowledging the                        
13 signi?cance of the collection to the state; and                                                                       
14       WHEREAS, in 2001, an agreement was reached among the American Museum of                                         
15 Natural History, the University of Alaska Museum of the North, and a representative of the                              
16 Fairbanks Gold Co., LLC, stipulating the return of the collection to the state; and                                     

01 WHEREAS, as of 2024, the agreement has still not been honored, depriving                                              
02 researchers and scientists in the state access to this invaluable scientific resource; and                              
03 WHEREAS the unopened crates of bones within the collection hold the potential for                                     
04 further discovery and scientific advancement in ?elds that include paleontology, ecology, and                           
05 anthropology and provide unique insights into the state's prehistoric and modern ecosystems                             
06 and climate;                                                                                                            
07 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the American Museum of                                         
08 Natural History to honor the agreement made in 2001 and expedite the return of the Childs                               
09 Frick-Alaska Quaternary Mammal Collection to the state in accordance with the intentions                                
10 expressed by Childs Frick in 1954; and be it                                                                            
11 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature recognizes the importance                                          
12 of ensuring access to this valuable scientific resource for researchers, educators, and students                        
13 in the state to conduct studies and analyses that contribute to the advancement of scientific                           
14 knowledge and understanding of the state's natural history; and be it                                                   
15 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature calls on the leadership of                                         
16 the American Museum of Natural History to express the state's strong support for the prompt                             
17 return of the Childs Frick-Alaska Quaternary Mammal Collection to the state; and be it                                  
18 FURTHER RESOLVED the Alaska State Legislature encourages collaboration                                                
19 among the American Museum of Natural History, the University of Alaska Museum of the                                    
20 North, Fairbanks Gold Co., LLC, and other relevant institutions and stakeholders in the state                           
21 to facilitate the repatriation process and ensure responsible stewardship of these artifacts.                           
22 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Pat Pitney, President,                                       
23 University of Alaska; Scott L. Bok, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the American Museum                               
24 of Natural History; Sean M. Decatur, President of the American Museum of Natural History;                               
25 John Reeves, owner of Fairbanks Gold Co., LLC; and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the                                 
26 Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Mary Peltola, U.S. Representative,                             
27 members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.