The Peabody Museum at Harvard stewards a collection of hair samples from Indigenous people around the world assembled by anthropologist George Edward Woodbury in the 1930s and donated to the Museum. The vast majority are from North America, including clippings of hair from approximately 700 Native American children attending U.S. Indian Boarding Schools. Many of those samples have the names of the individuals whose hair was taken.
The Peabody Museum wants to support the reconnection of families and tribal nations with their relatives to facilitate the process of healing. Their website (https://peabody.harvard.edu/woodbury-collection) makes available information on this collection, which includes the tribal affiliations of Native American individuals in the United States whose hair was taken, as well as the sites of collection, such as boarding schools, reservations and museums.
The Peabody Museum is fully committed to the return of hair back to families and tribal nations. This website shares a list of tribal affiliations and sites of collection here: https://peabody.harvard.edu/wc-lists-and-names. The first phase of fulfilling this commitment includes communication with tribal officials. The museum is not releasing details of the individuals at this time, however, this information is being shared with tribal officials. The second phase, a process for returns, is currently being developed. To receive updates on this effort, go to: https://harvard.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5aHYymDFsUIH4Ca?jfefe=new.