Anita Cohen-Williams; Reference Services; Hayden Library, wrote:

>Ok, now I am confused. From the recent discussion, I assumed that NAGPRA
>applies only to material found either on Federal land, or by federally-funded
>projects. If this is true, then why is there such a fuss going on?

All this fuss is because the above isn't precisely true. NAGPRA applies to all
repositories of Native American materials, prehistoric and historic, that
receive federal funding either directly or through a granting agency or
institution. As a city museum, my institution is subject to NAGPRA because our
parent institution, The City of Elmhurst, receives federal monies. The only
exceptions to NAGPRA are the Smithsonian (different provisions apply to them)
and wholly private collections.

NAGPRA requires that summaries of an institutions holdings of "sacred objects,"
"objects of cultural patrimony," and "unassociated funerary objects" be sent to
each tribe which is represented in the collection. State or regional summaries
should have been sent to all tribes whose aboriginal or present-day lands are
within that state or region. There are currently approximately 325 Indian tribes
in the continental US and 500 Alaskan village corporations recognized by the
Bureau of Indian Affairs. Additionally there are 2 native Hawiian orgainzations
and five burial councils.

NAGPRA does NOT require that objects be returned to anyone who asks for them.
Those MUSEUM-L subscribers who doubt this can contact C. Timothy McKeown,
Archaeological Assistance Division, P.O. Box 37127, Washington DC 20012-7172,
(202) 343-4101 for detailed information regarding repatriation. Please stop
second guessing the law and its provisions. Please read the law for yourselves.
Mr. McKeown can provide any interested party with a US Department of Interior
memorandum that summarizes the requirements of this law and defines the terms
used above.

I am certain that Ms. DeArmas feels passionately about her institution's
responsibility toward its holdings; I am equally certain that she is wrong about
the intent and process of this law.

(appologies to Janice Klein whose "Guide to NAGPRA" was excerpted for the above)
______________________________________________________________________
Diane Gutenkauf, Curator
Elmhurst Historical Museum
120 E. Park Avenue
Elmhurst, IL 60126 USA

Voice: +(708) 833-1457
  Fax: +(708) 833-1326
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