UA&SC | Collections Care: Professional Resources

Since 1990, Federal law has provided for the protection and return of Native American human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony. By enacting NAGPRA, Congress recognized that human remains of any ancestry "must at all times be treated with dignity and respect." Congress also acknowledged that human remains and other cultural items removed from Federal or tribal lands belong, in the first instance, to lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations. With this law, Congress sought to encourage a continuing dialogue between museums and Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations and to promote a greater understanding between the groups while at the same time recognizing the important function museums serve in society by preserving the past.

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.