Waystation Initiative Awarded $350k NEH Tier II Research and Development Grant

The Waystation, an initiative dedicated to advancing ethical stewardship and return of cultural heritage, has been awarded a prestigious grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) for $349,221. This grant will provide two-years of support for the development of best practices for addressing the complexities surrounding unprovenanced or unethically obtained cultural objects and will advance two key solutions: shared stewardship and voluntary return.

The funding will also support Creating Connections: Advancing Restitution and Stewardship of Cultural Heritage through Community Collaboration, a pivotal event hosted by The Waystation in Spring 2025. This two-day convening, co-organized with the Consensus Building Institute and the Fowler Museum, will bring together global representatives from diverse communities to foster collaboration, initiate dialogue, and develop shared strategies that promote the stewardship and return of cultural heritage worldwide.

The Waystation’s project is funded under the NEH’s United We Stand: Connecting Through Culture program, which is part of the broader American Tapestry: Weaving Together Past, Present, and Future initiative. The grant is one of six awarded from 33 competitive applications. The Waystation’s proposal was selected for its potential to use the humanities to address contemporary social challenges, including strengthening democracy, advancing equity for all, and/or addressing our changing climate. The NEH award announcement can be found here.

This is the third NEH grant awarded to the Waystation. In 2022, it received a Preservation Assistance Grant to assess its storage facilities and provide training on the care of archaeological and ethnological objects. In 2023, the Waystation secured a Humanities Initiative Grant to develop a graduate certificate program in Cultural Heritage Research, Stewardship, and Restitution at UCLA.

The Waystation’s work is rooted in deep community engagement and a commitment to heritage justice. The Best Practices for Voluntary Return and Shared Stewardship will be informed by the Waystation’s ongoing restitution efforts, current research, and case studies from other institutions involved in similar initiatives. 

A key component of this grant is the launch of Community Consultations, which will engage diverse international communities in the development of these best practices. The consultations will ensure that the needs and perspectives of these communities are central to the creation of new guidelines for shared stewardship and voluntary return. Consultants will be drawn from the Waystation’s existing stakeholder network, participants in the 2025 convening, and external contacts from global heritage initiatives.

The Waystation’s efforts aim to redefine the stewardship of tangible cultural heritage by incorporating both traditional and scientific research practices. The Initiative focuses on recognizing the right of nations and peoples to control and interpret their own cultural heritage, while fostering mutual respect and partnerships across borders. Through these collaborative efforts, The Waystation hopes to advance the ethical stewardship of cultural objects, promote the practice of voluntary return, and inspire lasting change in global heritage practices.

For more information on the Waystation Initiative visit https://ioa.ucla.edu/content/waystation-initiative. 

Lyssa C. Stapleton, Director
Waystation Initiative, UCLA