Click here for more photos.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: March 20, 2025

(El Paso, Tex. / Leiden, Netherlands) – MWS Global Strategies today released the following statement following its support in helping the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo of El Paso reunite with one of its most sacred ceremonial items, the Pohwith Winter Drum, more than 140 years after it was taken by Dutch explorers in 1882.

"This has been one of the most challenging and rewarding efforts we've ever undertaken," said Jeff Wiener, Partner at MWS Global Strategies, who represented Ysleta del Sur Pueblo in its repatriation effort. "We are deeply grateful to the Pueblo for entrusting us with this sacred responsibility."

The successful return of the drum and six other items of patrimony was the result of close collaboration between the Pueblo, the Dutch government, the Museum of World Cultures, and U.S. federal officials. The effort received critical support from officials at the U.S. Department of State and Department of the Interior, who worked tirelessly across time zones and governments to facilitate the process.

Key congressional leaders, including Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján, and Representatives Veronica Escobar, Tony Gonzales, Gabe Vasquez, Teresa Leger Fernández, and Melanie Stansbury, also played a pivotal role, lending their voices in support of the Pueblo’s request through sustained engagement with both U.S. and Dutch officials across multiple administrations.

"This is a powerful reminder that international diplomacy, when guided by respect and shared values, can lead to the restoration of cultural heritage and spiritual healing," continued Wiener. "MWS is honored to have supported the Pueblo in this landmark effort and extends its deepest thanks to all who played a part in making it possible."

The transfer ceremony in the Netherlands was both emotional and historic, marking not only the return of ancestral artifacts, but the restoration of cultural continuity for the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo.

Background:

The repatriation marks the end of a decades-long effort by the Pueblo to reclaim the culturally and religiously significant artifact, which has resided in the Netherlands under the control of the Dutch government and in the care of the Museum of World Cultures in Leiden since early 1883.

The return of the Pohwith Winter Drum—believed to date back to the 1600s—also reunites it with its ceremonial counterpart, the Summer Drum, enabling the Pueblo to fully celebrate both its Winter and Summer ceremonies for the first time since 1881.

###

Founded in 2018, MWS Global Strategies is a bipartisan government affairs and strategic advisory firm based in Washington, D.C. Rooted in the tradition of shoe-leather advocacy, MWS helps clients navigate Congress, federal agencies, and complex policy landscapes. With more than a century of combined experience across Capitol Hill and multiple administrations, MWS delivers trusted counsel, strong relationships, and results-driven strategies.