Work

The NAGPRA Decision‐Making Process and Praxis: A Case Study of the New Mexico State University Museum

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT This article examined the decision‐making process and practice of a small academic museum as it strived to comply with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). Using the New Mexico State University Museum as a case study, it explores key questions related to NAGPRA compliance: How did the NMSU Museum determine that there was insufficient information to identify the specific area from which ancestors (ancestral remains) and belongings (associated funerary objects) originated? How did the museum staff and representatives of federally recognized tribes collaborate to identify a location for reinterment? What insights does this case study offer to help other small museums navigate the NAGPRA consultation and repatriation process? The article concluded with recommendations to assist other small museums in fulfilling their NAGPRA obligations, making this case study a valuable resource for institutions still working toward compliance.

Source: Museum Anthropology

DOI: 10.1111/muan.70025

Authors: Fumi Arakawa, Stanley Berryman

Institutions: Indiana University Bloomington, Indiana University, New Mexico State University

Language: English

Topic: Cultural Identity and Heritage

Subfield: Archeology

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,400

Funders: New Mexico State University, National Park Service