And this repatriation only scratches thesurface.

Before bones can be returned, they must becatalogued into a database by Peabody employees.After six years of work by six to eight people,only 30 percent of all remains have been catalogedso far.

So, though this may be the largestrepatriation, other collections of bones will bereturned to other tribes in the years to come.

Watson remains confident that with a doublingof the cataloguing staff, the remaining 70 percentwill able to be inventoried in just over twoyears.

Though the repatriation may satisfy a largermoral purpose, museum officials said there was adistinct scientific loss.

The research on the collection was not onlycrucial for understanding European influence onAmerican Indian culture, but also allowed crucialresearch on osteoporosis.

"There is certainly a valid concern in thescientific community that something has beenlost," Watson said.

Isaac said the bones' return is part of agrowing recognition that human remains must betreated as ancestors instead of subjects forresearch.

"The times are changing--in other parts of theworld, significant numbers of remains have beenreturned," Isaac said, citing Canada andAustralia.

And while the Peabody is under a Congressionalmandate to do the "right" thing, the return of thePueblo bones remains a personal issue.

"For them, it's important for their ancestorsto go home," Isaac said