Content warning: This blog post discusses the unlawful removal and mistreatment of Indigenous burial grounds and the desecration of the remains of Indigenous ancestors as well as the disrespectful handling and misuse of funerary and cultural objects.
November is Indigenous Peoples History Month, a designated time to celebrate the diversity of Indigenous cultures, recognize and acknowledge tribal sovereignty, and educate the public on Indigenous histories. As Collections Coordinator at the Museum of the Grand Prairie, I have the unique opportunity and immeasurable responsibility to not only care for some Indigenous cultural objects, but just as importantly collaborate and build trust and relationships with Native Communities. This can be seen in our newest exhibit: The Art of Making where the museum had the honor of partnering with artisans from the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and the Seneca Nation, Turtle Clan.
Another significant aspect of my position is NAGPRA Representative. The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) is a landmark U.S. federal human rights law signed on November 16, 1990. It provides a legal process for museums, historical organizations, universities, and federal institutions to return Native American ancestral remains and sacred cultural items to their respective descendant communities.
How did we get here? In short, for centuries, archaeologists, historians, private collectors, and scientists have desecrated Native American graves and appropriated Indigenous material culture. These excavations and appropriations were fueled by systemic ethnocentrism, treating Indigenous ancestors and their burial items as scientific specimens rather than human beings with culturally sacred belongings. As a result, hundreds of thousands of ancestral remains and millions of cultural items were stored, sold, and put on public display in museums and universities.
NAGPRA applies to all federal agencies and any institution that receives federal funding including universities, state agencies, and local museums. The law has two main pillars; repatriation and graves protection. Repatriation is the legal and physical process of returning ancestral remains, and funerary and cultural objects back to lineal descendants from Tribal Nations and Native Hawaiian communities. Institutions are required by law to consult with tribes and return ancestors and belongings to their relatives or culturally affiliated Nations when requested. Graves protection refers to the federal law that outlines strict procedures for handling any excavations or unintentional discoveries of Native American remains on federal or Tribal Lands, requiring immediate notification and permits.
Like many museums, The Museum of the Grand Prairie does currently house many Indigenous cultural objects. Guided through consultation with affiliated Tribal Nations, we are working in partnership to return items and learn proper ways to care for the cultural heritage remaining in our stewardship. Through these efforts, we are dedicated to building lasting relationships rooted in mutual trust, ensuring that Indigenous Communities always lead the way in how their histories and cultures are represented.
Further education through viewing:
- For a glimpse into some of how NAGPRA affects Tribal Nations members, please watch: The Time Has Come: Tribal Practices and Repatriation
- What Was Ours is an immersive documentary that follows an Eastern Shoshone elder and two Northern Arapaho youth from the Wind River Reservation as they travel to Chicago's Field Museum to locate and reconnect with sacred tribal artifacts collected by curators a century ago.
Extended clip: MetroFocus | "WHAT WAS OURS" | PBS
Full film: What Was Ours – Vision Maker Media
Further education through reading: