Collaboration and Partnership: The Columbia Plateau Inter-Tribal Repatriation Group

Summary

The Columbia Plateau Inter-Tribal Repatriation Group consists of the tribes and bands in the Pacific Northwest states of Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. The Colville, Umatilla, Yakama, Nez Perce, and the Wanapum Band of Priest Rapids have come together to undertake the repatriation of human remains and funerary objects from the Columbia Plateau. The Plateau tribes have an inherent responsibility under their religious beliefs and practices to care for the ancestors buried within their homeland. These practices form the basis of identity and value systems for Plateau Indians. As descendent communities of the people that have lived on the Columbia Plateau for thousands of years joint efforts began in 2005 with the repatriation of human remains and funerary objects from the Smithsonian Institution. The right thing to do is to work together to achieve repatriation goals in the most expedient manner. In the past respective tribes made counter claims that were detrimental for repatriation of the ancestors. Today as we work together repatriation decisions are made by tribal policy and religious leaders. The benefits we gain include building trust, forming strong working relationships, and pulling resources together during the preparation, reburial, and ceremonial aspects of repatriation.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• NAGPRA and Beyond: successes and shared benefits of collaboration

Keywords

Spatial Coverage