Unit Authors: Anne Amati, University of Denver Museum of Anthropology; Jayne-Leigh Thomas, Indiana University
The More I Know, The More I Need to Learn
Learning Goals
- Understand the process of repatriation under NAGPRA
- Recognize effective forms of consultation and communication and when approaches are appropriate and effective.
- Understand the NAGPRA grant structures and opportunities.
- Understand NAGPRA definitions, including for funerary objects
- Understand importance of culturally affiliated and culturally unidentifiable designations and how they are treated under the NAGPRA law (the 10.11 and 10.16 rulings).
- The relevance of geographic and cultural associations.
Keywords
- Culturally unidentifiable
- Culturally affiliated
- CUI change in policy
- Consultation
- Ethical conservation
- Interpretation
- Management
- Museum
- Review Committee
Discussion Questions
- What is the process that Anne went through in consulting with these tribes?
- At which points did she need to make decisions? And what informed those decisions?
- What could Anne have done without the additional funding?
- What was the role of the states—Where does NAGPRA end and state statute begin in this case?
- What are the questions about DNA testing in this case? Why might people come to different decisions about whether to test?
- Why does this case represent a major achievement for the NAGPRA coordinator, the museum, and the application of the law?
- There are several levels of organization involved in this case—including labeling, storage and retrieval, provenance, and curation standards at the museum and processes dictated by the law. Where does the staff member start if she has to start from scratch?