PRESENTATION:

The University of Alaska Museum of the North (UAMN) will discuss our ongoing progress in the museum’s consultation and repatriation efforts under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). In the spring of 2024, the UAMN held two large intertribal gatherings to review our processes relating to NAGPRA and to formally consult regarding the repatriation of Ancestral remains, associated funerary objects, and potential cultural items. A primary focus of the meetings was to begin conversations between the museum and Tribal representatives on the possible process of repatriating Ancestors that were taken from lands in Alaska but for which the specific locations are unknown and affiliation to particular Tribes is unclear at the moment. Our discussion will focus on continuing these conversations and expanding the opportunities for Tribes to consult with the museum about this repatriation effort. There will be time for individual or group discussions and a review of our records of cultural objects and inventories of ancestral remains. There will also be a basic demonstration of how to search for these items in our online database.