We applaud efforts put forth by the University of Tennessee to repatriate the remains of thousands Native Americans removed from their resting places in South Dakota more than six decades ago and kept at the university since that time.

At mid-century, the Missouri River Basin Survey was conducted, among other things, to determine what Native American remains and artifacts were in the ground, just ahead of a construction project.

The Arikara and Mandan remains — more than 2,000 sets — are more than items of curiosity, tribal officials maintain. They are the bodies of tribal elders who passed and were committed to the ground, only to be removed by well-meaning researchers later.

Put another way, they were people who must be returned to the lands they were removed from originally and reburied. The university is cooperating, working with not only tribal officials but federal and state representatives, to complete the effort. Spring burials are anticipated.

This would seem in to be a simple no-brainer but it isn’t. Museums and centers of higher learning all over the country have in their possession an enormous number of not only human remains but artifacts, including religious and cultural items from Native American tribes, some of whom exist only on the pages of history books.

Many of these were removed from the ground or other similar locations but still, others were simply taken from the natives.

The time when all of the above should be given back has long passed. The University of Tennessee is congratulated for taking the step that so many others haven’t.