The controversy over the Spirit Sings Exhibition led to responses from several large organizations and institutions. The International Committee for Museum Ethnography (ICME) held a conference to discuss the issues raised by the exhibit. This conference agreed that a National Task Force should be created to support partnerships between Museums and First Peoples. The Museum Task Force Report of 1992, created by the National Task Force of Museums and First Peoples had several recommendations related to repatriation. The recommendation is made to increase the involvement of Indigenous peoples in making decisions regarding repatriation. NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act) was considered when making recommendations but the report suggests that case-by-case negotiations based on ethical and moral standards would be preferred over a legal approach. The act recommends the return of all human remains to their families, community, or First Nation. For other objects, the report recommends consultation by first Nations groups as equal partners to museums. The report recommends solutions such as returning the object to the indigenous community of origin, loans, shared custody agreements, or replication of objects. The report also calls on institutions to promote the repatriation of human remains and artifacts located internationally. Museums and similar institutions are encouraged to create specific policies for indigenous cultural materials and to increase access to information about indigenous items within collections.
