Heritage Commission demands urgent action on ancestral repatriation

In a recent government meeting, significant concerns were raised regarding the University of California (UC) system's compliance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The discussion highlighted troubling incidents from 2022, where collections of ancestral remains, including those of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, were found in the possession of UC Berkeley professor Tim White. This collection included items that had previously been repatriated to the tribe in 2018, prompting a response from the Heritage Commission.

The meeting revealed that while the seven UC campuses have largely filled their committees with nominations from the Heritage Commission, there remain vacancies—three on the UC Davis campus committee and five on the system-wide committee. These committees are essential for facilitating compliance with repatriation policies.

In 2021, the UC adopted a system-wide repatriation policy, which the Heritage Commission has been actively involved in improving. Key areas of focus include securing adequate funding, staffing, and integrating tribal traditional knowledge into the repatriation process. Following recent amendments to federal NAGPRA regulations, the Heritage Commission plans to update its tracking system to better monitor repatriation efforts and ensure compliance.

The commission is also developing dispute resolution and mediation regulations to address conflicts between tribes and institutions. However, these regulations will not provide mediation support when institutions are subject to both federal and state laws during the NAGPRA process.

During the meeting, concerns were raised about the slow pace of repatriation, particularly within the California State University (CSU) system, which has reportedly only repatriated 6% of its collections. The state auditor emphasized that the timeline for full repatriation is uncertain, as new collections may be discovered, and the process is heavily dependent on the commitment of resources from individual campuses.

The meeting concluded with a call for immediate action from institutions to enhance their repatriation efforts, emphasizing the importance of tribal consultation and the need to return ancestral remains to their rightful communities.