Resources for Tribes, Native Alaskan Villages

and Corporations, and Native Hawaiian

Organizations

NAGPRA provides a process through which lineal descendants, Indian tribes, Native Alaskan villages and corporations (also referred to as "Indian tribes" in NAGPRA), and Native Hawaiian organizations may claim culturally affiliated human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony.

Learn More About NAGPRA
Working with Federal Agencies
Working with Museums and Repositories
Working with the National NAGPRA Program
Additional Resources and Tribal Organizations

Learn More About NAGPRA
The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and its implementing regulations contain many specialized terms and requirements, and apply to United States museums and Federal agencies.

• Frequently Asked Questions about NAGPRA.
• Law and Regulations includes current regulations, as well as legislative and regulatory history.
• Regional consultations for the development of 43 CFR 10.7 (Disposition of unclaimed human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony) are in progress.
• Training in NAGPRA implementation is offered regularly by National NAGPRA.
• NAGPRA Glossary provides definitions for the specialized terms used in NAGPRA.
• NAGPRA Update newsletter is a concise overview of current NAGPRA topics.
• National NAGPRA reports are the official reports of National NAGPRA program activities.

Working with Federal Agencies
Under NAGPRA, Federal agencies are required to consult government-to-government with Indian tribes in addition to carrying out the inventory, summary, and repatriation provisions of NAGPRA. Federal agencies also have special NAGPRA responsibilities when Native American human remains and objects are discovered on Federal and tribal lands.

• Map of Military Bases. This low-resolution map is one resource for identifying Department of Defense lands that may be of interest to tribes for cultural resource purposes.
• Executive Orders on Consultation between Federal agencies and Indian tribes.
• Links to Federal agency cultural resource web pages. Connect directly to other Federal agencies to learn more about their NAGPRA activities.
  
• 36 CFR 79 "Curation of Federally-Owned and Administered Archeological Collections" includes requirements for providing Indian tribes with access to federally-owned archeological collections.
• Notices of Inventory Completion are published by Federal agencies and document their determinations regarding the cultural affiliation of Native American human remains and associated funerary objects.
• Notices of Intent to Repatriate are published by Federal agencies, and document their determinations regarding the cultural affiliation and identification of unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony.
• Notices of Intended Disposition are published by Federal agencies prior the disposition of Native American human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural patrimony discovered on Federal or tribal lands after November 16, 1990.

Working with Museums and Repositories
NAGPRA requires museums to complete inventories and summaries of Native American cultural items in their collections, and to repatriate Native American human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony to lineal descendants and culturally affiliated Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations.

• Notices of Inventory Completion are published by museums and document their determinations regarding the cultural affiliation of Native American human remains and associated funerary objects.
• Notices of Intent to Repatriate are published by museums and document their determinations regarding the cultural affiliation and identification of unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony.
• Contaminated Collections. Institutions are required to notify the recipients of repatriations of any presently known treatments used on cultural items.
• Grants. NAGPRA documentation and repatriation grants are available to Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations.

Working with the National NAGPRA Program
The National NAGPRA program is available to provide technical assistance in all aspects of the NAGPRA process.

• Regional consultations for the development of 43 CFR 10.7 (Disposition of unclaimed human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony) are in progress.
• Grants. National NAGPRA administers the NAGPRA grants program, and can provide assistance during the proposal writing process.
• Native American Consultation Database (NACD). Your tribal contact information is available for review on NACD, which is maintained by National NAGPRA.
• Review Committee. The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Review Committee facilitates the resolution of repatriation disputes and considers requests for the disposition of culturally unidentifiable human remains. National NAGPRA provides staff support to the Review Committee.
• Contact National NAGPRA.

Additional Resources and Tribal Organizations
A variety of information related to NAGPRA and tribal cultural resource preservation is available.

• National Park Service Tribal Preservation Program assists Indian tribes in preserving their historic properties and cultural traditions.
• Tribal Historic Preservation Offices have responsibility for reviewing Federal agency undertakings on tribal lands pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
• Find your State Historic Preservation Office for information on identifying historic properties and assessing the potential effects of undertakings on historic properties.
• International Repatriation is an overview of the issues and international agreements relating to the return of cultural property to indigenous communities.
• Map of Indian Reservations in the continental United States.
• Map of Judicially Established Indian Lands based on decisions of the Indian Claims Commission.
• Kennewick Man Documents provide background information and detailed reports on aspects of the work being done by the Department of the Interior in the Kennewick Man case.
• National Congress of American Indians
• National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers
• Alaska Federation of Natives
• Alaska Intertribal Council
• Affliliated Tribes of Northwest Indians
• United South and Eastern Tribes
• Great Lakes Intertribal Council
• Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan, Inc.
• Inter Tribal Council of Arizona
• Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada
• Montana-Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council