The Museum of Anthropology is in full compliance with all provisions of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). Prior to November 16, 1993, the Museum submitted completed Summaries to the National Park Service (NPS) and tribal groups. The Museum filed its original Inventory to NPS in November 1995, and followed up with a revised inventory sent in March 2000. In April 2009, in response to the Future Applicability Ruling by the Federal Government, the Museum filed a third inventory focusing on those collections received at the Museum since 1993. The Museum continues to work with tribes throughout the United States in consultations and repatriation activities.

During the inventory process, the Museum of Anthropology identified over 250 collections with NAGPRA related materials. These included 15 archaeological sites containing human remains and associated funerary objects that could be culturally affiliated with a federally recognized tribe. Additionally, the Museum identified more than 300 items within our ethnology and ethnobotanical collections that we believe represent either sacred items or objects of cultural patrimony. In all these cases, culturally affiliated tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations have been notified.

The Museum has worked closely with numerous tribal organizations and welcomes inquiries about our collections. Consultations have included phone conversations, letters, e-mail correspondence, and on-site visits. To assist tribal organizations assess our collections, the Museum has made available a complete listing of our archaeological NAGPRA sites, separated between sites in Michigan (pdf) and the rest of the United States (pdf). These listings do not provide detailed information on particular collections, but do provide basic information on site age and location, which can help interested groups determine whether they would like to seek additional information.

For general NAGPRA questions, please contact John O'Shea, NAGPRA Coordinator, joshea@umich.edu, 734-764-0485, or our Director, Carla Sinopoli, sinopoli@umich.edu.

For Collections information, please contact Karen O'Brien, Collections Manager, klobrien@umich.edu, 734-764-6299.