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Native American Materials in the US Archives

An introduction to Native American materials in archives, libraries, & museums

Protocols for Native American Archival Materials

The Protocols outline best professional practices for culturally responsive care and use of American Indian archival material held by non-tribal organizations. They guide libraries and archives in culturally responsive care of Native American items and in providing culturally appropriate service to communities.

Follow the link to read the Protocols.  

Repatriaation Stories

Helping Them Home: The need to Return Artifacts and Sacred Objects to Native American Tribes. (2016).

A Video by Oregon State Parks.

 

The Hopi Objects Repatriation

The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA)

NAGPRA requires federal agencies and museums to identify Native American human remains and cultural items in their collections; to consult with federally recognized Indian tribes on the return of those objects; and return human remains and cultural objects to their native people.

Summaries of Cultural Items

A general description of Native American funerary objects, sacred objects, and cultural objects of in archival holdings or museum collections. A NAGPRA summary is an invitation to Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations to consult.

Inventories 

A list of holdings and collections subject to NAGPRA. It shows the minimum number of individuals (MNI) and the number of associated funerary objects (AFO) that have not completed the NAGPRA process.

NAGPRA in the News