Updates at the end of 2023 to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), specifically the Duty of Care requirement, have many U.S. museums scrambling to either comply and/or remove Native American objects from exhibit. NAGPRA Guidelines can be confusing, so provided are some resources that will assist museums with the process. One point of clarification to keep in mind: Any museum that has received federal funding since the law first passed in 1990 is subject to NAGPRA, including museums that received any COVID relief funds.
Duty-of-Care-FAQ.pdf (nps.gov) This addresses the most recent change to NAGPRA
Getting Started - Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
National-NAGPPRA-Program-Steps-to-Repatriation.pdf (nps.gov)
About | NAGPRA Community of Practice This organization is actively engaged in NAGPRA Compliance, and has a list serve for its members.
AAM’s November/December 2023 issue of Museum is dedicated to Repatriation, and includes stories of how museums across the globe are addressing NAGPRA, including going above and beyond what the law stipulates.
Some Museums Scrambled to Remove Native American Items From Display. These Museums Didn't Need to. - Mary Hudetz and Logan Jaffe, ProPublica
NAGPRA Website - Watch Recording*
Updates to the NPS website about NAGPRA, including new templates and guidance, published on Friday, January 12, 2024. Join Melanie O'Brien for a tour of the changes and new documents. *Session was re-recorded on January 18, 2024, due to technical issues.
National NAGPRA Program Webinars
The National NAGPRA Program will host a series of 10 webinars on the new regulations on the third Friday of every month from 1pm to 2:30pm Eastern time. Registration is required, but the meeting information is always the same. Register once and attend any session. Mark your calendars and bring your questions. January 19, 2024 – Overview of Revised Regulations, Watch RecordingFebruary 16, 2024 – Deep dive into Subpart CMarch 15, 2024 – Consultation under NAGPRAApril 19, 2024 – Notices under NAGPRA
Register for NAGPRA Program Webinars
National NAGPRA Program On-Demand Videos
The National NAGPRA Program offers free on-demand training on a variety of topics for beginner to advanced NAGPRA practitioners. Since 2010, the National NAGPRA Program has produced videos, training sessions, and webinars. Recordings are available on the National NAGPRA Program YouTube Channel.Note: Many of these trainings were developed under the previous regulatory framework and some references may be outdated. The content and information is still relevant and useful for understanding NAGPRA.