More than 120,000 ancestral remains held by the federal government haven't been repatriated to tribes, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office.

The GAO looked at whether federal agencies have complied with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. Most agencies haven't done their job, according to the report.

"This reaffirms our research into the law and process, and what we've been saying all along that without any teeth in the law or any federal oversight, the law remains stagnant," Reno Franklin, the chairman of the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, said in a statement.

The report said the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Tennessee Valley Authority were the most behind in compliance.

Get the Story:
Government lacks in compliance to act (The Farmington Daily Times 8/30)
Tribes seek faster repatriation of their ancestors' remains (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 8/30)
Towanda museum to return artifacts to Wichita tribe (The Wichita Eagle 8/29)
GAO finds major federal NAGPRA snafus (Indian Country Today 8/25)

GAO Report Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act: After Almost 20 Years, Key Federal Agencies Still Have Not Fully Complied with the Act:
Summary | Highlights | Full Report | Recommendations

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GAO to discuss NAGPRA report at tribal historic preservation meet (8/4)
GAO report finds federal agencies not in compliance with NAGPRA (7/29)
Nature: GAO about to release report on NAGPRA office at Interior (7/21)