A significant milestone in Native American repatriation efforts was announced during a joint hearing of the California State Assembly's Joint Legislative Audit Committee and the Assembly Select Committee on Native American Affairs on August 29, 2023. Dr. Perez from Chico State University revealed that 532 ancestors and 87,935 cultural belongings are in the process of being legally transferred to a consortium of tribes, marking the second-largest repatriation under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) in history.

Dr. Perez expressed gratitude for the California State Auditors Report, which highlighted challenges faced by universities in complying with NAGPRA and Cal NAGPRA. He emphasized the labor-intensive nature of the process, noting that despite obstacles, Chico State is committed to making progress. The university is currently consulting with eight tribes and plans to engage more as they work to update policies and improve transparency through a dedicated Cal NAGPRA website.

Challenges remain, particularly concerning accurate documentation of cultural items, which has slowed the repatriation process. Dr. Perez acknowledged that while Chico State is not yet fully compliant, the university prioritizes the repatriation of human remains and cultural items as a critical human rights issue for Native American communities.

Following Dr. Perez, Dr. Mike Lee from Sonoma State University also addressed the committee, acknowledging the need for improvement in their repatriation processes. He reported that Sonoma State has contacted 141 tribal representatives and conducted 14 consultation meetings, resulting in the repatriation of remains and cultural items from 17 collections. Dr. Lee outlined plans to enhance their campus Necro Committee and hire a full-time Necro coordinating manager to further support repatriation efforts.

Both universities underscored their commitment to collaborating with Native American tribes, recognizing that full repatriation is impossible without robust tribal input. The discussions highlighted a shared dedication to honoring Native communities and ensuring that cultural items are returned in a timely and respectful manner.