NAGPRA
The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (1990) provides protection and repatriation rights for Native American communities seeking the return of human remains associated with their tribe or ancestral lands. In class, we’ve been thinking about how forensic anthropologists study human remains in many different contexts. As we wrap up class, let’s think about the ethics of working with human remains. If human remains are recovered from an archaeological site on federal land, NAGPRA applies.
1) Read the American Association of Physical Anthropology’s 2007 Position Statement regarding NAGPRA.
2) Read Over 9,000 Years Later, Kennewick Man Will Be Given a Native American Burial regarding the Kennewick Man Case and NAGPRA
3) Find one outside article that discusses a specific case involving NAGPRA and human remains.
4) Create a one slide mini-presentation summarizing the case and describing how your article relates to NAGPRA. Post this slide in the Discussion.
5) Write some reflection on the importance of NAGPRA guidelines and the ethical issues that surround human remains. What responsibility do forensic anthropologists have to the scientific community and how do those conflict with the rights of the deceased and their living relatives?