In Search of Solutions: Exploring Pathways to Repatriation for NAGPRA Practitioners (Part III)

This collection contains the abstracts of the papers presented in the session entitled "In Search of Solutions: Exploring Pathways to Repatriation for NAGPRA Practitioners (Part III)" at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Now in its fourth decade, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) remains one of the most important legislative acts shaping the discipline of archaeology today. To adequately discuss the range of topics and provide examples and case studies incorporating shifting discourses of repatriation, policies, and collections management concerning Ancestors and objects subject to NAGPRA, the Committee on Museums, Collections, and Curation and the Curation Interest group have arranged a five-part series. This session discusses the long path to repatriation and the evolving needs of care for Ancestors and objects that fall under NAGPRA. While Western ideas about curation and acceptable archival practices may be partially adequate, it is necessary to incorporate Indigenous voices and decision-making into the everyday choices that are made regarding their cultural heritage. This is particularly relevant as proposed regulation changes to NAGPRA include language regarding an institution’s duty of care to ancestral remains and cultural items. This session brings together a diverse array of voices to discuss how to respectfully curate this sensitive cultural heritage.