Learning NAGPRA: Nationwide Survey Results

Summary

Although the Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) was passed as federal legislation in 1990, it seems that many students do not receive comprehensive coverage of the law and its connections to the broader disciplinary histories of anthropology and museum studies and to professional research ethics. Indiana University was awarded NSF grants in 2014 and 2015 to conduct a nationwide study on NAGPRA teaching and training and to collaborate with specialists in preparing improved teaching materials. This poster will present some preliminary analyses of data collected from interviews and two online questionnaires directed towards educators and students in anthropology and museum studies related college or university programs. Students were asked about their coursework experiences, their knowledge of NAGPRA, and what sorts of internships or extracurricular opportunities would contribute towards their future career. Educators answered questions on their educational and professional experiences relating to ethics and NAGPRA, as well as their teaching interests and thoughts on student mentoring and professionalization. Both groups were also asked their opinions on the respective benefits and harms of the law. The results of this research will be used in the creation of new pedagogical materials.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage