In November of 1990 George Bush passed the Native Americans Graves Protection and Reparation Act (NAGPRA). This was a major step for America and it's understanding of historic remains found or dug up here. In this paper I will inform you about NAGPRA, the people, and a major skeleton heavily involved in its controversy. I will also tell you about my own personal opinion to end this dispute. .
First off, what is NAGPRA? .
"NAGPRA provides a process for museums and Federal agencies to return certain Native American cultural items -- human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural patrimony -- to lineal descendants, and culturally affiliated Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations. NAGPRA includes provisions for unclaimed and culturally unidentifiable Native American cultural items, intentional and inadvertent discovery of Native American cultural items on Federal and tribal lands, and penalties for noncompliance and illegal trafficking. In addition, NAGPRA authorizes Federal grants to Indian tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, and museums to assist with the documentation and repatriation of Native American cultural items, and establishes the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Review Committee to monitor the NAGPRA process and facilitate the resolution of disputes that may arise concerning repatriation under NAGPRA." (Molloy 1).
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Up until recently the law had never been challenged. However, the Kennewick Man a 9300 year old skeleton found along the Columbia River in Washington (White pg.6), changed NAGPRA forever. Because of this amazing find, laws are changing and so are the ways we now look at the history of the arrival of humans to the "new world" (America). This skeleton is still being fought for by scientists and the Umatilla Tribe (which is trying to claim it). The main reason it is so important to the scientific world, is that it is one of only a handful of skeletons this old to be found in North America (Ahern).