[1] Legend says that if one desires victory in battle or protection, one should carve an effigy of one or both of the twins from a piece of wood that was struck by lightning.
As far as is known by outsiders, Zuni Ahayu’da (also known as ‘War Gods’) that are "retired" are to be placed in open-air shrines in order to naturally disintegrate.
The three principles that guided the return of the Ahayu’da are as follows: In 1978 the Zuni contacted the Denver Art Museum, the auction house of Sotheby Parke Bernet, and the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of Natural History to request the return of Ahayu’da in each collection.
Zuni cultural customs dictate that anyone with an objection to the actions of another must approach their opponent peacefully to resolve the matter.
[4] They state that the first Ahayu’da was successfully repatriated from the Sotheby Parke Bernet auction in New York City in 1978.
In 1990 the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) was passed, in great part because of the national recognition that the Zuni's efforts had received.
As there are no European laws in place to protect Native American cultural property, the Zuni campaign has been less successful abroad.