The process to return Native American remains is broken

The Broadside

For over a hundred years, Western archeologists built vast collections of looted Native American artifacts and human remains. For many Native Americans today, those violations have left a painful legacy. A glimmer of hope appeared in 1990, with the passage of a federal law intended to facilitate the repatriation of Native American ancestors to their tribes. But 30 years later, tens of thousands of remains and funerary artifacts are still held at institutions around the country.

Featuring:

• Laura Pellicer, Contributor at North Carolina Public Radio
• Lilly Knoepp, Senior Regional Reporter for Blue Ridge Public Radio
• Miranda Panther, NAGPRA Officer for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Historic Preservation Office
• Shana Bushyhead Condill, Executive Director at Museum of the Cherokee People
• Margaret Scarry, Director of Research Labs of Archaeology at UNC-Chapel Hill

Links:

• Check out North Carolina Public Radio and Blue Ridge Public Radio’s reporting on NAGPRA.
• Explore The Repatriation Project from ProPublica.
• You can find a transcript of the episode here.

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