New York Citys world-renowned American Museum of Natural History announced Friday it is closing two exhibition halls following new federal regulations on Native American artifacts and remains.

The museums Eastern Woodlands and Great Plains Halls will close on Saturday to the public and staff. Five display cases outside of these halls will also be covered from public view, museum president Sean Decatur said in a letter to staff.

The Halls we are closing are vestiges of an era when museums such as ours did not respect the values, perspectives, and indeed shared humanity of Indigenous peoples, said Decatur. Actions that may feel sudden to some may seem long overdue to others.