About NAGPRA

The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) was initially passed in 1990. The law requires museums and other institutions that receive federal funding to inventory their collections for Ancestral remains and associated funerary objects, unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony. These inventories, completed and disseminated to Tribal groups through consultation, provide information to those descendent communities interested in their expeditious return. Additional guidance and clarification has been provided since the law was passed.

Michigan State University created a joint NAGPRA effort in 2019, guided by the Provost's Office and the Office of Research Regulatory Support to establish a process for increased collaboration and consultation with Tribal officials. This effort has focused on creating a separate collections and consultation space, on renewing conversations, and on starting constructive dialogue among scholars and Tribal representatives. We recognize that NAGPRA, while having its foundation as a legal matter, is also a personal, cultural, and spiritual endeavor and as such, have moved forward with creating a unique space dedicated to this process. In August of 2022, the University adopted it's first official NAGPRA policy. This policy was updated in February of 2024 to reflect updates to the regulations. You can access the current NAGPRA Policy from the University Policies page here, or by clicking here 2024 NAGPRA Policy (PDF)

We work with units across campus to facilitate repatriation of Ancestral remains and cultural objects. We have just finished updating lists of Summary objects, and will be reaching out to Tribes shortly. We know we have unassociated funerary objects from Arkansas, California, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Michigan, though the majority of the collections originate from Michigan. We are also happy to facilitate returns of cultural heritage to communities outside of the United States.