Members of the Chickasaw Nation's reburial team at a recent event.
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The National Park Service (NPS) has allocated $3 million in grants to support the consultation, documentation, and repatriation of Native American ancestral remains and cultural items. These grants, awarded to 13 Tribes and 21 museums, are part of the ongoing efforts under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).
Enacted in 1990, NAGPRA mandates that museums and federal agencies inventory and identify Native American human remains and cultural objects in their collections. The law also requires consultation with Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations to ensure the respectful return of these items. The NPS, which is responsible for administering NAGPRA, facilitates the awarding of these grants.
Chuck Sams, Director of the NPS, emphasized the significance of these efforts: "The National Park Service is committed to supporting these important efforts to reconnect and return the remains of Tribal ancestors and other cultural resources to the communities they belong to. These grants help ensure Native American cultural heritage isn't kept in storage, cast aside, or forgotten."
The NPS awarded five Repatriation Grants to two Tribes and three museums to fund the return of human remains and cultural items. These grants will facilitate the transportation and reburial of 137 ancestors, 12 funerary objects, and 54 cultural items. The Chickasaw Nation is one of the grant recipients and will use the funds to support its reburial team in repatriating 130 ancestors from the Tennessee Valley Authority in Alabama. The team will travel from Ada, Oklahoma, to Moundville, Alabama, to complete this mission, with additional repatriations planned if feasible.
The recipients of the FY 2024 NAGPRA Repatriation Grants include:
• Galena Village (AK): $24,387
• Colorado Seminary (CO): $6,509
• Vassar College (NY): $10,010
• Hartwick College (NY): $15,810
• Chickasaw Nation (OK): $15,155
In addition to repatriation, the NPS awarded 34 grants to 11 Tribes and 19 museums for consultation and documentation projects. These grants will fund staff travel, consultation meetings, and research, all of which are critical to the repatriation process.
One notable grant recipient is the Forest County Potawatomi Community (FCPC) of Wisconsin. The FCPC will use the funding to seek the return of ancestral remains, funerary objects, and culturally significant items. The Tribe will collaborate with several museums, including the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Wisconsin Historical Society, to begin cataloging these items for potential repatriation.
The FY 2024 NAGPRA Consultation/Documentation Grant recipients include universities, art galleries, and tribes. For a full list, see https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1207/national-park-service-awards-$3-million-to-aid-return-of-native-american-remains-sacred-objects.htm:
