In 2022, the Smithsonian adopted a Shared Stewardship and Ethical Returns Policy. According to Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III, this policy marks a “cultural shift in our concepts of possessions, ownership, and the stewardship of collections” across the institution. Since then, how have we worked to transform this cultural shift into real-world change?

This panel brings together staff from several Smithsonian museums to share how they are interpreting the principles of shared stewardship—by showing up, listening, and building trust through collaborative work with communities, knowledge holders, and partners.

Danielle Bennett from the National Museum of Asian Art will discuss the collaborative process that led to the ethical return of three objects to Cambodia in December 2025. Greg Adams will share how the principles of shared stewardship have shaped archival work at the National Museum of African Art (NMAfA). Kelly McHugh will describe the National Museum of the American Indian’s Four Pathways of Return, including the systems and outcomes of shared stewardship. Caroline Angle Maguire will share how NMAfA co-created new provenance research in partnership with African researchers. Sarah Loudin will describe how the National Museum of Natural History is focusing on expanding provenance research to enhance engagement with communities, collections records and access, and shared stewardship conversations.

Through these and other real‑world examples, the conversation invites audiences to rethink museums not just as places that preserve the past but also as spaces of shared responsibility, care, and connection in the present.