Ron Geshick was 6 years old when a university archeologist showed up on the shores of Nett Lake in northern Minnesota and began digging for American Indian artifacts.

Sixty-four years later, Geshick fought tears as more than 8,000 items unearthed in that dig were returned to the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa by the Minnesota Historical Society.

"It's like having a long-lost relative come home," Geshick, now a 70-year-old tribal elder, said after a spiritual guide led tribal leaders in celebrating the return of the items amid songs, prayers and a pipe ceremony this week. "Very powerful feelings come from these."

The artifacts, some of which are believed to be nearly 3,000 years old, were returned as part of an ongoing effort by the Bois Forte Band and other American Indian communities to reclaim items taken from their lands....