Human remains from members of historically marginalized communities are currently held in museum collections and institutions of higher education throughout the United States. The history of their acquisition and use in research are often riddled with connections to colonial legacies and race science, and are thus the subject of ethical discussion as to their place in these collections today. This project aims to explore the ethical implications of human remains currently being housed in museums and other institutions, focusing on both their proposed benefits and harms to the communities they are meant to serve. The project discusses the adherence and violation of various ethical principles, the impact on descendant communities, and compares the practice of maintaining human remains collections to legal frameworks such as NAGPRA.