Course Description
An overview of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, the course covers historical plundering and collecting of indigenous artifacts and human remains from 1776-1990, Native activism and political action, landmark legislation of 1990, and Native American perspectives on colonialist academic practices and the impact of NAGPRA for tribes.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Requirements for the main research project will be at a graduate level, geared toward an article for publication.
Athena Title
NAGPRA and the US
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
To prepare students who work in historical archives, museum collections, archaeology labs and collections, art galleries for the cultural and legal issues of Native American art, artifacts, and human remains.
Topical Outline
Part I: (2 weeks) Intro to the history of U.S. Indian Policy, archaeology, ethnography, anthropology, and Native American art and artifact collections in the U.S. This will include a discussion of everything from Thomas Jefferson's amateur archaeology to Boaz to the story of Geronimo's war bonnet. Basically the background to why we needed NAGPRA. Part II: (3 weeks) Native American Perspectives: This section will cover relevant aspects of U.S. history using Native American primary sources, site, and artifact histories. Tribal guest speakers will be lined up for much of this unit. Part III: (3 weeks) Legal battle for self-determination and repatriation and federal legislation. This will cover the long history of Native resistance to U.S. Indian policies and tribal-led legal battles in the state, federal, and Supreme courts as well as important legal issues that paved the way for the passage of NAGPRA in 1990. Part IV: (6 weeks) This section will cover the impact of NAGPRA on tribes, academic institutions, and museums. Content will focus on specific museum and academic collections, determining tribal affiliations, DNA research, and other technical issues, as well as related legal and cultural issues.