Mary Hudetz
I cover tribes and federal agencies that serve Native Americans. I live in New Mexico.
Have a Tip for a Story?
I’m interested in hearing from past and present staffers at the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian Health Service and other agencies serving Native people. I also want to hear from people who receive care or services through these agencies.
What I Cover
I report on issues and policies that affect Native Americans. My beat includes tribal governments and the vast array of federal agencies that administer health care, public safety, housing and cultural resource protection programs on reservations.
My Background
My reporting on Indigenous issues spans nearly two decades. Previously, I reported for The Seattle Times, where I was part of the investigative team. At The Associated Press, my 2018 reporting with two colleagues on cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women won several awards, including a Dori J. Maynard Award for Justice in Journalism from the News Leaders Association.
I joined ProPublica’s Southwest unit in 2021. My recent reporting, as part of the team that produced “The Repatriation Project,” received the Indigenous Journalists Association’s Richard LaCourse Award for Investigative Journalism. Our work was also followed by policy changes, as well as the return of thousands of Native American ancestors’ remains and belongings back to tribes.
We Carry the Burden of Repatriating Our Ancestors. Here’s What It’s Like to Report on the Process as an Indigenous Journalist.
Mary Hudetz describes the financial cost and emotional distress that tribal communities face as they continue to wait for the return of the remains of their ancestors, thousands of which are held in museums across the country.
A Scientist Said Her Research Could Help With Repatriation. Instead, It Destroyed Native Remains.
Federal agencies have awarded millions of dollars to scientific studies on Native American human remains, undermining the goals of NAGPRA as tribes fight for repatriation.
Senate Committee Probes Top Universities, Museums Over Failures to Repatriate Human Remains
U.S. senators want five institutions to explain why they continue to hold thousands of Native American remains and belongings, following reporting from ProPublica and NBC News. “It’s immoral, it’s hypocritical, and it has to stop,” one senator said.
Dozens of Museums and Universities Pledge to Return Native American Remains. Few Have Funded the Effort.
Reporting from local newsrooms, based on ProPublica’s “Repatriation Project,” has sparked a wave of apologies and commitment to returning ancestral remains.
A Top UC Berkeley Professor Taught With Remains That May Include Dozens of Native Americans
Despite decades of Indigenous activism and resistance, UC Berkeley has failed to return the remains of thousands of Native Americans to tribes.
Help Us Investigate Museums’ Failure to Return Native American Human Remains and Cultural Items
Do you know about how museums and other institutions are handling the repatriation of Native American human remains and cultural items under NAGPRA? We want to hear from you.
Behind ProPublica’s Reporting on Repatriation
Our reporters answer frequently asked questions about The Repatriation Project from leaders and citizens of tribal nations.
America’s Biggest Museums Fail to Return Native American Human Remains
The remains of more than 100,000 Native Americans are held by prestigious U.S. institutions, despite a 1990 law meant to return them to tribal nations. Here’s how the ancestors were stolen — and how tribes are working to get them back.
Help Us Investigate Museums’ Failure to Return Native American Human Remains and Cultural Items
Do you know about how museums and other institutions are handling the repatriation of Native American human remains and cultural items under NAGPRA? We want to hear from you.