Repatriation and Traditional Care

Enacted by Congress in 1990, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) acknowledges the rights of lineal descendants, Native American tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations to the return of certain human remains and cultural items. The California Legislature further adopted the California Native American Graves and Protection Act (CalNAGPRA) in 2001.  UC Berkeley is actively consulting with tribes under these acts, guided by the University of California Policy and Procedures on Curation and Repatriation of Human Remains and Cultural Items.

As of 2022, the UC Berkeley NAGPRA Program moved to the Chancellor’s Office, under the Office of Government and Community Relations. For more information about the UC Berkeley NAGPRA Program, please visit nagpra.berkeley.edu/.  Inquiries regarding the consultation or repatriation process can be directed to nagpra-ucb@berkeley.edu.

Consultation & Repatriation

As an essential part of these efforts, the UC Berkeley NAGPRA Program actively engages in consultation with tribes regarding Native American human remains and associated funerary objects, unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony. Consultation may take many forms, including but not limited to, in-person visits; telephone conversations; emails and letters; and inquiries for collections and archival information. 

NAGPRA claims can be made by lineal descendants, tribal chairpersons, or authorized NAGPRA representatives of federally recognized tribes. Inquiries regarding the consultation or repatriation process can be directed to the UC Berkeley NAGPRA Program at nagpra-ucb@berkeley.edu.

On a case-by-case basis, the Museum will also consider repatriation requests for holdings that originate from outside of the United States. Please direct any related requests to pahma-director@berkeley.edu.

Traditional Care

Descendant communities may have recommendations for the care, storage, and handling of cultural objects. The Museum welcomes requests to incorporate these approaches into its collections care. In cases where traditional care requests cannot be strictly accommodated, the Museum and NAGPRA Program collaboratively explore alternative arrangements with communities in order to implement culturally sensitive care while upholding the safety and security of all collections.   

The Museum and NAGPRA Program also invite guidance from tribes who, for whatever reason, are unable to receive human remains to whom they have been culturally affiliated. They are encouraged to contact the NAGPRA Program regarding protocols for treatment of the remains until repatriation can be arranged.

For more information about traditional care or to submit a request, please contact nagpra-ucb@berkeley.edu.