Members of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan conduct a funerary procession for ancestors returned under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
NPS Photo

April 15, 2024 - WASHINGTON – Last week, U.S. House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) sent a letter to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting a comprehensive review of the federal government’s implementation of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), including the identification of potential best practices for improving repatriation.

The lawmakers’ letter draws attention to a range of deficiencies and challenges raised by tribes, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Review Committee’s 2023 Annual Report, and the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) recent report regarding federal agencies’ implementation and enforcement of NAGPRA. These issues have resulted in the failure to repatriate hundreds of thousands of Native American human remains and cultural items. The lawmakers write, in part:

“The Government Accountability Office’s (GAO’s) past work and some tribes have indicated that progress has been slow because of several challenges. These include how some agencies are implementing NAGPRA’s consultation requirements, the Department of the Interior’s (DOI’s) civil enforcement process, and DOI’s processes for awarding NAGPRA grants. The National NAGPRA Program also recently reported that continued resistance by some museums unwilling to comply with NAGPRA is a barrier to repatriation.”

READ the full letter to GAO. 

Source:  U.S. House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva