This thesis will serve as a guide for those involved with local historical societies and other types of small museums in New York State who are not receiving federal funding. It aims to help those individuals understand what repatriation is, why it is important, and why their small organization should be partaking in it voluntarily. The work discusses the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and recent developments from the Biden and Trump Administrations, materiality and ontology, reasons why non-federally funded museums and local historical societies may not participate in repatriation currently, a case study on the History Center in Tompkins County (Ithaca, New York), and concerns between preservation and repatriation. It also includes potential funding sources and how to approach fundraising, resources for organizations looking to undergo repatriation efforts, and a brief overview of informed consent and digital recording. Facilitating repatriation on the local level in New York State is an important step in acknowledging Indigenous perspectives on materiality and addressing the lasting impacts of colonialism.