and its impact on Native American Collections the differences in
collections care and policies. Presented by Diana Stone,
Administrative Assistant Caryatid Conservation Services, Inc. Slide
2 The legislation of NAGRPA (Native American Grave Repatriation and
Protection Act, 1990) and NMAI Act (National Museum of the American
Indian Act, 1989) changed how the United States treated the use of
Native American human remains, associated and unassociated funerary
objects, and sacred objects. These Acts returned thousands of human
remains, funerary and sacred objects back to their Tribes of
origin; and created a dialogue between the museums/federal
institutions and the Tribes about the care and use of the remaining
Native American collections. Slide 3 NMAI ActNAGPRA Slide 4 Notes:
(1) Because the numbers provided in this table are estimates, we
have rounded them to the nearest ten. (2) Totals may not add
because of rounding. (3) In addition to repatriating human remains
and objects included in this table, the Smithsonian has also
returned some Native American items solely because they were
illegally acquired by the Smithsonian, or in the case of the
American Indian Museum, by the museums predecessor, the Museum of
the American Indian in New York. Specifically, the American Indian
Museum has returned about 30 such items, and the Natural History
Museum has returned about 19 such items. An item is considered
illegally acquired, for example, if the collector did not have the
legal right to acquire it. a According to Smithsonian officials,
the museums calculate the number of human remains differently. The
Natural History Museum calculates the minimum number of
individuals. The American Indian Museum currently calculates the
minimum number of individuals, but previously used other methods,
including counts of individual elements and counts of the number of
bone fragments. The minimum number of individuals cannot be
estimated for human remains that were repatriated before the
counting method was standardized. The total number of human remains
includes skeletal material, hair, scalps, and other cultural
objects that may contain human remains. b The American Indian
Museum Repatriation Manager told us that some of these are lots
rather than individual items. A lot generally is a group of human
remains or artifacts that are related in some way, but are not
individually numbered or identified. Highlights of GAO-11-515, a
report to congressional requesters Human remainsFunerary objects
Sacred objects and objects of cultural patrimony Museum Number
offered for repatriation Number repatriatedPercent Number offered
for repatriation Number repatriatedPercent Number offered for
repatriation Number repatriatedPercent American Indian
42039093%29,400 b 8,20028%1,1901,09092% Natural History
5,5603,94071%182,82091,36050%50 100% Total
5,9804,33072%212,22099,55047%1,2401,14092% Slide 5 There are six
steps to getting an object repatriated to a Native community. Step
One:Informational RequestInformational Request Step Two:Formal
Request for a Visit and Collections ReviewFormal Request for a
Visit and Collections Review Step Three:Consultation Visit and
Collections ReviewConsultation Visit and Collections Review Step
Four:Formal Repatriation RequestFormal Repatriation Request Step
Five:Repatriation Research and ReportingRepatriation Research and
Reporting Step Six:Deaccession and RepatriationDeaccession and
Repatriation http://nmai.si.edu/explore/collections/repatriation/
Slide 6 Slide 7 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS
SUMMARY: This notice publishes the current list of 566 tribal
entities recognized and eligible for funding and services from the
Bureau of Indian Affairs by virtue of their status as Indian
tribes. The list is updated from the notice published on August 10,
2012 (77 FR 47868). Slide 8 Most federally recognized tribes are
organized under the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) of 1934 (25
U.S.C. 461 et seq.), including a number of Alaska Native villages,
which adopted formal governing documents under the provisions of a
1936 amendment to the IRA. The passage in 1971 of the Alaska Native
Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601), however, provided for the
creation of regional and village corporations under state law to
manage the money and lands granted to Alaska Natives by the act.
The Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act of 1936 provided for the
organization of Indian tribes within the State of Oklahoma. Slide 9
Defining some of the terms and classifications of the qualifying
objects under NAGPRA Slide 10 For purposes of this Act, the term
(1) burial site means any natural or prepared physical location,
whether originally below, on, or above the surface of the earth,
into which as a part of the death rite or ceremony of a culture,
individual human remains are deposited. (2) cultural affiliation
means that there is a relationship of shared group identity which
can be reasonably traced historically or prehistorically between a
present day Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization and an
identifiable earlier group. Slide 11 For purposes of this Act, the
term (3) cultural items means human remains and (A) associated
funerary objects (B) unassociated funerary objects (C) sacred
objects (D) cultural patrimony Slide 12 (A) associated funerary
objects objects that, as a part of the death rite or ceremony of a
culture, are reasonably believed to have been placed with
individual human remains either at the time of death or later, and
both the human remains and associated funerary objects are
presently in the possession or control of a Federal agency or
museum, except that other items exclusively made for burial
purposes or to contain human remains shall be considered as
associated funerary objects. Slide 13 (B) unassociated funerary
objects objects that, as a part of the death rite or ceremony of a
culture, are reasonably believed to have been placed with
individual human remains either at the time of death or later,
where the remains are not in the possession or control of the
Federal agency or museum and the objects can be identified by a
preponderance of the evidence as related to specific individuals or
families or to known human remains or, by a preponderance of the
evidence, as having been removed from a specific burial site of an
individual culturally affiliated with a particular Indian tribe.
Slide 14 (C) sacred objects specific ceremonial objects which are
needed by traditional Native American religious leaders for the
practice of traditional Native American religions by their present
day adherents, Slide 15 (D) cultural patrimony an object having
ongoing historical, traditional, or cultural importance central to
the Native American group or culture itself, rather than property
owned by an individual Native American, and which, therefore,
cannot be alienated, appropriated, or conveyed by any individual
regardless of whether or not the individual is a member of the
Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization and such object shall
have been considered inalienable by such Native American group at
the time the object was separated from such group. Slide 16 (human
remains) Slide 17
http://www.cm-life.com/2010/11/04/video-walking-them-home/ Posted
by Adam Kaminski, Video Editor at Central Michigan Life on November
4, 2010 at 9:39 pmAdam Kaminski Slide 18 The 9,000 year old remains
of a man was found in Kennewick, Washington along the Columbia
River on July 28, 1996 After dating the remains the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, which manages the land where the discovery was made,
turned them over to Native American tribes in the Northwest, who
did not want any further testing performed on them. Eight
anthropologists sued to gain access to the remains, claiming that
the decision did not follow federal law.
http://crosscut.com/2012/10/11/culture-ethnicity/110937/kennewick-man-return-dead/
Slide 19 Judge agreed, ruling that in order to be eligible under
the 1990 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act
(NAGPRA)--Kennewick Man must have "a relationship to a presently
existing tribe, people, or culture." But because "Kennewick Man's
culture is unknown and apparently unknowable," the tribes' request
to repatriate was denied. The four tribes--the Colville, the
Umatilla, the Yakama and the Nez Perce--appealed the August 2002
decision. Remains are in the Burke Museum at the University of
Washington, his home for the past six years while the courts have
been determining his fate. (2004)
http://crosscut.com/2012/10/11/culture-ethnicity/110937/kennewick-man-return-dead/
Slide 20 16 years after his discovery, many of Kennewick Man's
secrets were made public by Smithsonian Institute forensic
anthropologist Douglas Owsley, who studied Kennewick Man for nearly
a decade. Kennewick Man, was a long-range wandering hunter, likely
from the Pacific Coast 200-plus miles away. The middle-aged
wanderer, scientists believe, was 5-foot 7 or 8 inches,
theoretically 161 pounds, with a major league baseball-caliber
right throwing arm and a Polynesian-like face with good-enough
teeth for a "fabulous smile."
http://crosscut.com/2012/10/11/culture-ethnicity/110937/kennewick-man-return-dead/
Slide 21 Slide 22 Detection Chemical spots tests XRF (X-Ray
Fluorescence Spectrometry) GC-MS (Gas Chromatography Mass
Spectrometry) Mitigation HEPA- Filter Vacuuming Compressed Air
Laser Exposure to ultraviolet light Washing Freeze-drying Chemical
alteration
http://collections.rmsc.org/LibCat/links/Pesticide_Contamination.pdf
Slide 23 Blessing of Collection Spaces Object Handling Certain
objects may only be by one gender and taboo to be handled by the
other. Orientation of Objects on shelving and within the room Use
of micro-climates Variation of these practices between Tribal
Groups Awareness of diverse beliefs between Native Americans
Objects resulting from the Pan-Indian movement and Tourism
Conservation papers on these topics can be found at:
http://www.bcin.ca/Interface/bcin.cgi (enter search term: Native
American) http://www.bcin.ca/Interface/bcin.cgi Slide 24 Image from
The Seminole Tribune Article, Tribes unite for student stickball on
OCTOBER 24, 2013 by Eileen Soler
http://seminoletribune.org/tribes-unite-for-student-stickball/http://seminoletribune.org/tribes-unite-for-student-stickball/
Alternatives to use of the main collection: (May only apply to
Tribally owned Museums) Tribal member only loan kits can be created
by Tribal Member specialists of that tradition The community may
want a reliable location for storage and care for objects of
cultural importance and Museums/Cultural Centers have a
responsibility to keep track of objects Slide 25 Report from Susan
Heald, Senior Textile Conservator Paper was presented at the 8th
Congress of Textile Conservation North America in Oaxaca de Jurez,
Oaxaca, Mxico on November 8 11, 2011. Four of the collaborations
cited from the paper published came from pages 155 170. Slide 26 In
1991, NMAIs conservation lab was established. As the museums
priorities and resources have shifted over the past 20 years,
NMAI's conservators have developed various ways of consulting with
Native communities. efforts focused on treatment of individual
objects, subsequent exhibit-specic conservation consultations
focused on groups of materials. NMAI's conservation unit has become
established as a training ground for emerging conservators. have
expanded to include workshops given by Native artisans that focus
on a certain material or techniques, , but also address the
cultural context of these traditions. . Heald, Susan. Twenty Years
of Conservation Collaborations with Native Peoples at the National
Museum of the American Indian, The 8th Congress of Textile
Conservation North America; Oaxaca de Jurez, Oaxaca, Mxico:
November 8 11, 2011. pages 155 - 170 Slide 27 NMAI conservators
have espoused two ongoing, inter-related commitments: 1) provide
conservation training opportunities emphasizing Native American
cultural material 2) support consultations and collaborations with
Native constituents to fulll the Museum's mission of working in
partnership with Native peoples and supporting the continuance of
Native cultures These consultations help to inform the Museums
care, preservation, and conservation of its collection which is
viewed by staff and Native American constituents as a living
collection linked to existing, thriving cultures. Heald, Susan.
Twenty Years of Conservation Collaborations with Native Peoples at
the National Museum of the American Indian, The 8th Congress of
Textile Conservation North America; Oaxaca de Jurez, Oaxaca, Mxico:
November 8 11, 2011. pages 155 - 170 Slide 28 Challenges for
Exhibition and workshop Establishing respect exhibition protocol -
Signage vs. Verbal instructions Damage in shipping Collections are
protected for them, not from them Heald, Susan. Twenty Years of
Conservation Collaborations with Native Peoples at the National
Museum of the American Indian, The 8th Congress of Textile
Conservation North America; Oaxaca de Jurez, Oaxaca, Mxico:
November 8 11, 2011. pages 155 - 170 Images from the NMAI Exhibit
Infinity of Nations: Art and History in the Collections of the
National Museum of the American Indian Ongoing in New York, NY
Slide 29 Beadwork to be displayed for exhibition Standard protocol
for conservation vs. the beliefs of the Tribe. Displaying a damage
piece would not represent the level of expertise of the Tribe
Museum went sided with the Tribe and the pieces underwent
restoration with the guidance and skill of the Tuscarora
beadworkers Heald, Susan. Twenty Years of Conservation
Collaborations with Native Peoples at the National Museum of the
American Indian, The 8th Congress of Textile Conservation North
America; Oaxaca de Jurez, Oaxaca, Mxico: November 8 11, 2011. pages
155 - 170 Slide 30 Challenges for Preservation (Damage from use
during loan) Building relationship of respect and open
communication for care of object during loans Cultural recovery
Heald, Susan. Twenty Years of Conservation Collaborations with
Native Peoples at the National Museum of the American Indian, The
8th Congress of Textile Conservation North America; Oaxaca de
Jurez, Oaxaca, Mxico: November 8 11, 2011. pages 155 - 170 Members
of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians from Oregon gather on
the Voices of the World stage to perform their traditional Feather
Dance. Photo by Katherine Moore, Ralph Rinzler Archives and
Collections, Smithsonian Institution Slide 31 The mask had several
elements in poor condition The community felt it unacceptable to
display the mask without replacing deteriorated components, since
it would never be danced in such deteriorated condition Community
members prepared replacement feathers & a cedar bark skirt in
British Columbia NMAI conservators documented the extant materials
and construction of the mask at the CRC A Kwakwakawakw artist
traveled to the CRC with the feathers and a cedar bark skirt to
work with conservators in renewing the mask. Heald, Susan. Twenty
Years of Conservation Collaborations with Native Peoples at the
National Museum of the American Indian, The 8th Congress of Textile
Conservation North America; Oaxaca de Jurez, Oaxaca, Mxico:
November 8 11, 2011. pages 155 - 170 This image came from The North
American Indian by Edward S. Curtis. These images were published
between 1907 and 1930. According to the U.S. Library of Congress,
they are in the public domain in the United States. Ham'samala mask
dance. Edward S. Curtisthey are in the public domainEdward S.
Curtisthey are in the public domain Slide 32 Conservators assisted
and documented the removal of original components and the
replacement of the new; the original deteriorated components were
retained, labeled and stored in separate storage supports. A second
collaboration with the team, produced a presentation of their work
at: Canadian Conservation Institutes 2007 Symposium, Preserving
Aboriginal Heritage (Kaminitz et al. 2008). Collaborative
treatments challenge conservators to balance standard conservation
ethics with traditional protocol for care; at times pitting minimal
intervention against outright restoration. Heald, Susan. Twenty
Years of Conservation Collaborations with Native Peoples at the
National Museum of the American Indian, The 8th Congress of Textile
Conservation North America; Oaxaca de Jurez, Oaxaca, Mxico:
November 8 11, 2011. pages 155 - 170 Kwakwaka'wakw. Baleen Whale
Mask, 19th century. Cedar wood, hide, cotton cord, nails, pigment,
23 5/8 x 28 1/2 x 81 1/8 in. (60 x 72.4 x 206 cm). Brooklyn Museum,
Museum Expedition 1908, Museum Collection Fund, 08.491.8901.
Creative Commons-BY Slide 33 NMAI conservators have found that
providing Detailed documentation for every treatment step Written
rationale for each decision will help others understand why certain
treatment decisions were made during a collaborative effort (Chang
and Heald 2005). Heald, Susan. Twenty Years of Conservation
Collaborations with Native Peoples at the National Museum of the
American Indian, The 8th Congress of Textile Conservation North
America; Oaxaca de Jurez, Oaxaca, Mxico: November 8 11, 2011. pages
155 - 170 Slide 34 Some of the basics learned were: 1. dont
underestimate the importance of hospitality, such as sharing meals;
2. provide a place and time for private prayer or blessing for
consultants to prepare themselves to work with the collections; 3.
keep the number of people in the consultation small so as not to
overwhelm the consultants; 4. phrase questions carefully yes or no
questions will not provide as much information; 5. realize that
there is some information that may not be culturally appropriate to
share with outsiders; 6. also realize that members of the same
community may voice differing opinions regarding how specic objects
should be cared for, or if displaying culturally sensitive
materials is appropriate. Heald, Susan. Twenty Years of
Conservation Collaborations with Native Peoples at the National
Museum of the American Indian, The 8th Congress of Textile
Conservation North America; Oaxaca de Jurez, Oaxaca, Mxico:
November 8 11, 2011. pages 155 - 170 Slide 35 Slide 17) Walking
Them Home: - http://www.cm-life.com/2010/11/04/video-
walking-them-home/ http://www.cm-life.com/2010/11/04/video-
walking-them-home/ Slides 18-20) Kennewick Man the Controversy: -
http://crosscut.com/2012/10/11/culture-
ethnicity/110937/kennewick-man-return- dead/
http://crosscut.com/2012/10/11/culture-
ethnicity/110937/kennewick-man-return- dead/ Slide 17) Issues of
Pesticide contamination: -
http://collections.rmsc.org/LibCat/links/Pestici
de_Contamination.pdf
http://collections.rmsc.org/LibCat/links/Pestici
de_Contamination.pdf Slide 18) Treatment of objects within
Collection Spaces: - http://www.bcin.ca/Interface/bcin.cgi
http://www.bcin.ca/Interface/bcin.cgi Slide 21, 23-26) Twenty Years
of Conservation Collaborations: Heald, Susan. Twenty Years of
Conservation Collaborations with Native Peoples at the National
Museum of the American Indian, The 8th Congress of Textile
Conservation North America; Oaxaca de Jurez, Oaxaca, Mxico:
November 8 11, 2011. pages 155 - 170 Slide 3) The NMAI act Vs.
NAGPRA: -- In the Smaller Scope of Conscience: The Struggle for
National Repatriation Legislation, 19861990 by C. Timothy McKeown
(Feb 6, 2014) In the Smaller Scope of Conscience: The Struggle for
National Repatriation Legislation, 19861990 by C. Timothy McKeown
(Feb 6, 2014) Slide 4) Smithsonians 2010 report on NMAI Act: --
highlights of GAO-11-515, a report to congressional requesters
highlights of GAO-11-515, a report to congressional requesters
Slide 5) SIX STEPS TO REPATRIATION: --
http://nmai.si.edu/explore/collections/repatriation/
http://nmai.si.edu/explore/collections/repatriation/ Slide 7) 566
tribal entities: -- http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-08-
10/pdf/2012-19588.pdf http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-08-
10/pdf/2012-19588.pdf Slide 8) Federal Recognition: --
http://www.bia.gov/FAQs/index.htm http://www.bia.gov/FAQs/index.htm
Slides 9-15) Classifications of Objects: --
http://www.cr.nps.gov/local- law/FHPL_NAGPRA.pdf
http://www.cr.nps.gov/local- law/FHPL_NAGPRA.pdf Slide 36
http://www.penn.museum/nagpra.html
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1037&context=historydiss
http://www.repatriationfoundation.org/pdf/mending%20the%20circle/CoverBeginning.p
df
http://www.repatriationfoundation.org/pdf/mending%20the%20circle/CoverBeginning.p
df
http://cool.conservation-us.org/waac/wn/wn22/wn22-2/wn22-207.html
http://www.spnhc.org/media/assets/cofo_2001_V17N12.pdf
http://www.natcconference.com/conference-archives/oaxaca-2011/oaxaca-2011-
program/program-papers-oax-2011.html
http://www.natcconference.com/conference-archives/oaxaca-2011/oaxaca-2011-
program/program-papers-oax-2011.html
http://www.nps.gov/archeology/tools/laws/NAGPRA.htm
http://search.usa.gov/search?affiliate=indianaffairs&query=NAGPRA&sa.x=0&sa.y=0
