Date of Award
2019
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Social Sciences
First Advisor
Vesperi, Maria
Area of Concentration
Anthropology
Abstract
Despite the importance of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), in my review of the literature, I found the literature regarding NAGPRA to be rather sparse, and the website that covers what has been achieved by NAGPRA has not been updated in a few years. In addition, it is not given much priority in institutions and administrations, especially because there are few repercussions if it is not obeyed. This is an unfortunate mistake, as misconceptions regarding the law and miscommunications between those who must abide by it run rampant, only serving to contribute to the perceived divide between native tribes and scholars. Due to the broad scope of the law, I will focus on NAGPRA as it pertains to human remains and religious items. First, I will discuss the act itself, and what it actually says. This will also have some discussion about issues with the writing of it since the language of the act is unfortunately vague at times. Second, I will provide a review of relevant literature. Third, I will introduce the subjects who were interviewed for this project, all of whom have experience with the NAGPRA process. Fourth, I will discuss the findings from the interviews in combination with the other work to provide a better understanding of NAGPRA, where the law came from, and where it is going in the future.
Recommended Citation
Grunwald, Olivia Sage, "A Discussion of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act" (2019). Theses & ETDs. 5699.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/5699