WASHINGTON The federal government announced Dec. 6 a major overhaul to a decades-old law that governs the return of Native American ancestral remains and artifacts to their tribal nations.
The federal government yesterday announced a major overhaul to a decades-old law that governs the return of Native American ancestral remains and artifacts to their tribal nations. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) announced final revisions to the 33-year-old Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) on Dec. 6 at the 2023 White House Tribal Summit in Washington, D.C. The final rule, nearly three years in the making, expedites and simplifies the process for tribal nations seeking their relatives’ return.
Soon the Department of the Interior headquarters will again be overflowing with tribal leaders from across the nation, some traveling thousands of miles.