3.0

Average Course Rating

The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) is the intersection of diplomatic government-to-government relationships and historical, structural, and practical factors that together became part of U.S. federal law. In order to understand NAGPRA, we must understand how all of these pieces fit together; they do so in three key areas: (1) its historical background—the events and circumstances that led to the creation of NAGPRA, (2) its legal structure—the law and regulations that govern repatriation/rematriation, and (3) its practical implementation—the ways NAGPRA is carried out in real-world situations. By the end of the course, students will have a solid understanding of how and why Ancestral human remains and cultural materials were (and are) separated from their Indigenous cultures, the processes for their return to Tribal governments, and the completion of repatriation/rematriation. This knowledge will empower students to engage with NAGPRA beyond a U.S. federal context by providing a larger conceptual and practical framework for the return of Ancestors and cultural materials at local and global scales.