Our Story
Where We Come From
Where We're Going
High Desert Heritage & Research was founded to address a growing and often overlooked challenge: helping Native American cultural items find respectful pathways home through collaboration, research, and public education.
A Problem Few People Realized Existed
For years, people across the American West quietly reached out to archaeologists, museums, and public agencies asking the same difficult question:
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“What should I do with these artifacts?”
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Some had inherited collections from family members. Others had gathered items decades earlier and no longer felt comfortable keeping them. Many wanted to ensure the items were treated respectfully and returned appropriately.
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But despite the growing need, few systems existed to help facilitate ethical and respectful repatriation.
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That gap became the foundation for High Desert Heritage and Research.
The Challenge
Cultural Items Were Falling Into a System With No Clear Path Forward
During her work in public archaeology, Elizabeth Hora regularly encountered collectors and inheritors who wanted guidance on responsibly returning Native American cultural items.
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However, existing systems were limited.
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Museums often could not accept collections. Universities lacked resources or institutional pathways for most returns. Tribal Nations frequently faced staffing and funding limitations that made large-scale response difficult.
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At the same time, collectors often felt uncertain, embarrassed, or afraid to ask questions.
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As a result, many cultural items remained disconnected from the communities for whom they hold cultural and historical significance.
Archaeology, Public Service, and Cultural Stewardship
Before founding HDHR, Elizabeth Hora spent nearly two decades working in archaeology and cultural heritage preservation.
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As Public Archaeologist for the Utah State Historic Preservation Office, she worked directly with communities, educators, collectors, and cultural resource professionals throughout the region.
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Her work focused not only on archaeology itself, but also on public engagement, responsible stewardship, and improving access to cultural heritage education.
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Through years of conversations with collectors and Tribal representatives, it became increasingly clear that a respectful and structured pathway for voluntary repatriation was urgently needed.
What We Do
Responsible Repatriation
Millions of important Native American items are currently held in private collections and homes, and many of these artifacts are at risk. When collections are passed down, younger generations may feel it's unethical or even illegal to possess them but don’t know how to properly give them up. This often leads people to believe that throwing these items away is the best solution.
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High Desert Heritage and Research is creating a responsible process to return these items to their traditional owners, Native American tribes. We're bringing together tribal leaders and scholars from across the American West to develop a solution. We also help people with private collections by providing a process for the long-term care of their items. ​
Research and Education
We take public education seriously. By stopping the movement of artifacts off of archaeological sites we can prevent the loss of archaeological data and help the recreating public honor and respect past and present Native American communities.
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We believe that scholarly research and public education are crucial for understanding and preserving the past. High Desert Heritage and Research sponsors scholarly research into the region’s ancient history and makes the findings publicly available.
Our programs include field trips, workshops, and lectures that bring cutting-edge archaeology to students of all ages.​
Frequently Asked Questions
Become a Supporter and
Help Artifacts Find
The Path Home
Donate to High Desert Heritage and Research to fund collaboration and research that makes repatriation possible.
Choose your one-time donation amount.
Amount
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High Desert Heritage and Research is a 501(c)3 charitable organization based in Utah. Donations are tax-deductible based. You will receive an emailed receipt for your records upon successful completion of your donation.