The Association of Art Museum Directors is issuing non-binding guidelines today that call on museums to consult with tribes and indigenous people on the display, handling and treatment of sacred properties.

The recommendations go farther than the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. They apply to all indigenous people, regardless of location or recognition status in the United States, and apply to items that may not be covered under the law.

"We wanted to go beyond the technical, narrow provisions of NAGPRA," Dan Monroe, a museum director who helped write the guidelines, told The New York Times.

NAGPRA only applies to museums and institutions that have received federal funds. It only recognizes the rights of tribes, Native Hawaiians and Native people who can demonstrate a cultural link to their ancestors and certain artifacts.

Get the Story:
Museums Establish Guidelines for Treatment of Sacred Objects (The New York Times 8/10)
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Relevant Links:
Association of Art Museum Directors - http://www.aamd.org
National NAGPRA - http://www.cr.nps.gov/nagpra

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