Chapter
Museum Missions and Repatriation Offices
NAGPRA Requirements and How They Differ from Those of the
NMAI Act
Special Committee Requirements under the NMAI Act
Board of Trustees’ Authority Established by the NMAI Act
SINCE 1989, THE SMITHSONIAN HAS PREPARED
REQUIRED SUMMARIES AND INVENTORIES AND
HAS OFFERED TO REPATRIATE ABOUT ONE-THIRD
OF ITS INDIAN HUMAN REMAINS
Both Museums Generally Prepared Required Documents on
Time, but Inventories Raise Questions about Compliance with
the NMAI Act
Smithsonian’s Progress in Offering Human Remains and
Objects for Repatriation Has Been Slow
The Smithsonian Identified Challenges to Meeting Its
Repatriation Requirements
THE REVIEW COMMITTEE’S OVERSIGHT AND REPORTING
ARE LIMITED, AND IT FACES SOME CHALLENGES TO
FULFILLING ITS REQUIREMENTS
Contrary to the NMAI Act, the Review Committee Only Monitors the Repatriation Activities of the Natural History Museum
The Review Committee Monitors the Natural History Museum
but Does Not Report to Congress
The Review Committee Has Heard Few Disputes, and No
Independent Appeals Process Exists for Smithsonian Decisions
The Review Committee Identified Challenges It Faces
MOST HUMAN REMAINS AND MANY OBJECTS OFFERED
FOR REPATRIATION HAVE BEEN REPATRIATED, BUT THE
SMITHSONIAN HAS NO POLICY ON CULTURALLY
UNIDENTIFIABLE ITEMS
The Smithsonian Estimates That It Has Repatriated About 4,330
Indian Human Remains and About 100,700 Objects
Items Have Not Been Repatriated for a Variety of Reasons
The Smithsonian’s Repatriation Policies Do Not Discuss How toHandle Culturally Unidentifiable Items
MATTER FOR CONGRESSIONAL CONSIDERATION
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EXECUTIVE ACTION
APPENDIX I: OBJECTIVES, SCOPE, AND METHODOLOGY
APPENDIX II: PROCESSING TIMES FOR REPATRIATION
CASE REPORTS
Overall Time Frames for Completing Case Reports and Factors
Affecting the Time Frames
Specific Details on the Processing Times for Repatriation Case
Reports
APPENDIX III: COMMENTS FROM THE
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
End Notes for Appendix II
Chapter 2:
INDIAN ISSUES: KEY FEDERAL AGENCIES'
AND THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION'S
EFFORTS TO IDENTIFY AND REPATRIATE
INDIAN HUMAN REMAINS AND OBJECTS.
STATEMENT OF ANU K.MITTAL, DIRECTOR,
NATURAL RESOURCES AN ENVIRONMENT,
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE.
HEARING ON ''FINDING OUR WAY HOME:
ACHIEVING THE POLICY
GOALS OF NAGPRA''
AFTER ALMOST 20 YEARS, KEY FEDERAL AGENCIES
STILL HAVE NOT FULLY COMPLIED WITH NAGPRA
Key Federal Agencies Have Not Fully Complied with NAGPRA
for Their Historical Collections
The NAGPRA Review Committee Has Monitored Compliance
with NAGPRA Implementation and Made Recommendations
with Mixed Success
National NAGPRA Has, in Some Cases, Not Effectively Carried
out Its Responsibilities
Repatriations Are Not Tracked or Reported Governmentwide,
but According to Data Collected by GAO, Many NAGPRA
Items Have Been Repatriated
THE SMITHSONIAN STILL HAS MUCH WORK TO DO TO
IDENTIFY AND REPATRIATE INDIAN HUMAN REMAINS
AND OBJECTS
Since 1989, the Smithsonian Has Prepared Required Summaries
and Inventories and Has Offered to Repatriate about One-Third
of Its Indian Human Remains
The Smithsonian Review Committee’s Oversight and Reporting
Are Limited
Most Human Remains and Many Objects Offered for
Repatriation Have Been Repatriated, but the Smithsonian Has
No Policy on Culturally Unidentifiable Items
Chapter 3:
TESTIMONY OF KEVIN GOVER, DIRECTOR,
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN
INDIAN. HEARING ON ''FINDING OUR WAY
HOME:ACHIEVING THE POLICY
GOALS OF NAGPRA''