Abstract:
Passed in 1990, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act
(NAGPRA) is a federal law that requires museum and federal agencies to comply with a
complex set of regulations stipulating the return of Native American sacred objects,
objects of cultural patrimony, funerary objects, and human remains. Using two different
courses, Art Law and Anthropology Museum, this capstone examines the events leading
up to NAGPRA’s passage, the issues that continue to persist in completing repatriations
two decades after its passage, and presents possible solutions to assist future repatriations.
In hopes of also shedding light on the relationships built between museums and Native
American communities while completing repatriations, this capstone will briefly examine
whether said relationships can contribute to future collaborations and interactions. The
goal of this capstone is to offer a condensed historical examination of NAGPRA as well
as its most prevalent issues in order to provide a resource for both museums and Native
American communities attempting to complete repatriations with which they could
prevent extensive delays or confusion.