National Park Service awards $3 million in repatriation grants

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The Chickasaw Nation will use $15,155 in federal funds to complete the repatriation of tribal ancestors from the Tennessee Valley Authority. Photo courtesy Chickasaw Nation

Tuesday, September 3, 2024

Indianz.Com

The National Park Service (NPS) has awarded $3 million in grants under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).

The grants are going to 13 tribes and 12 institutions. The recipients of Repatriation Grants will use the funds to repatriate ancestors and cultural items to their rightful owners while recipients of Consultation/Documentation Grants will use the money for consultation and documentation projects that support the repatriation process.

“The National Park Service is committed to supporting these important efforts to reconnect and return the remains of Tribal ancestors and other cultural resources to the communities they belong to,” NPS Director Chuck Sams said in an August 9 news release. “These grants help ensure Native American cultural heritage isn’t kept in storage, cast aside, or forgotten.”

The National NAGPRA Program is housed at the NPS. Since 1994, over $62 million has been awarded in grants, according to the agency.

NAGPRA became law in 1990. It requires government agencies, museums and institutions that have received federal funds to repatriate ancestral remains and artifacts belonging to American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians.