Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Araghchi to Grossi: These parties will bear responsibility for the consequences of their actions
Araghchi to Grossi: Iran will respond to any unlawful action by European countries or parties attempting to turn the Agency into a tool for achieving their objectives
Araghchi to Grossi: We urge the Agency to warn against the consequences of any political move against Iran
Araghchi to Grossi: We call on the Agency to highlight Iran’s full cooperation during the upcoming Board of Governors meeting next week
Araghchi to Grossi: We demand that the Agency reflect the facts in a manner that prevents certain parties from exploiting it to advance their political agendas
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi holds a phone call with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi
Trump envoy Witkoff has sent 'detailed and acceptable proposal' to Iran for nuclear deal; it's in their best interest to accept it: White House Press Secretary Leavitt
Hamas official says Witkoff's position toward group was 'unfair' and shows 'complete bias' to 'Israel'
Hamas official says it has considered Witkoff's proposal acceptable for negotiations, says 'Israel's' response was incompatible with what the group agreed on
Hamas official says group has not rejected Wikoff's proposal for Gaza ceasefire

'Delayed repatriation is delayed justice for Native peoples': Senators

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News Website
  • 30 Apr 2023 23:39
3 Min Read

13 bipartisan Senators urge five US institutions to comply with the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act of 1990.

  • x
  • A Puebloan Kachina Huhuwa mask displayed for sale among other Native American artifacts at a 2014 Paris auction, France. (AFP)
    A Puebloan Kachina Huhuwa mask displayed for sale among other Native American artifacts at a 2014 Paris auction, France (AFP)

Alaska's Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan add their signatures to letters urging five museums and universities to repatriate Indigenous artifacts and the remains of those deceased to their descendants.

The letters collected the signatures of 13 bipartisan Senators calling on the University of California Berkeley, Harvard University, Illinois State Museum, Indiana University, and the Ohio History Connection to abide by the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) that was signed into US Federal Law in 1990.

The Act decrees that all institutions that benefit from Federal funding must repatriate all human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony to their descendants or original community.

The letters denounced the non-compliance of the institution as "delayed repatriation is delayed justice for Native peoples."

"For too long, Native ancestral remains and cultural items have been unconscionably denied their journey home by institutions, desecrated by scientific study, publicly displayed as specimens, left to collect dust on a shelf, or simply thrown in a box and forgotten in a museum storeroom," they read.

An investigation by ProPublica and NBC News showed that institutions all over the US are hoarding more than 110,000 looted Native American remains. 

Related News

US Envoy calls Hamas ceasefire response 'totally unacceptable'

17 Palestinians killed in US-Israeli designated aid zones in Gaza

Senators question institutions' ethics

Murkowski said the letters aim to "elevate the issue" and educate the public on NAGPRA. She also revealed that she signed the letters "because it doesn't make any difference if you are a significant museum or university. If you have ancestral remains that have been part of a 'collection', they are ancestral remains that need to be returned and not necessarily kept as someone's private collection."

Senator Sullivan said the letters were sent to pressure the universities and museums into complying with the Act.

"Can you imagine somebody going to your ancestor’s grave and taking their bones, digging up their bones, and then when you go back saying, 'I’d like my great-great-grandfather’s bones back,' and they’re not being cooperative?" Sullivan remarked on Tuesday.

When the Act was put into law, US lawmakers estimated the repatriation period at 5 years, but more than 30 years later "a daunting amount of work" is yet to be completed.

"Experts reportedly estimate that it could take as many as 70 more years before NAGPRA’s directive of expeditious repatriation is fulfilled," the letters stated. The organizers proclaim that "this is simply unacceptable." 

The Ohio History Connection, which is responsible for the management of multiple sites in Ohio, as well as the Indiana University, Illinois State Museum, and UC Berkeley, stated that they are ready to complete the process of repatriation, while Harvard University has not yet responded to the letters.

Read more: US tribes ask Pope for records related to Indian boarding schools.

  • United States
  • indigenous people
  • Native Americans
  • US
  • Harvard University
  • NAGPRA

Most Read

US judges quietly consider private security amid Trump tensions

US judges quietly consider private security amid Trump pressures

  • US & Canada
  • 25 May 2025
President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrive to a news conference in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, in Washington (AP)

Rift widens: Trump, Netanyahu clash in heated phone call over Iran

  • Politics
  • 26 May 2025
An Israeli army vehicle moves in the Gaza Strip as seen from southern occupied Palestine, Thursday, May 29, 2025 (AP)

Hamas rejects Witkoff ceasefire plan, says alters terms

  • Politics
  • 29 May 2025
Spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, announces a new operation against Ben Gurion Airport on May 29, 2025 (Yemeni Military Media)

Yemen announces successful hypersonic missile strike on Ben Gurion

  • Politics
  • 30 May 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
MIT bans class president who gave pro-Palestine speech
US & Canada

MIT bans class president over pro-Palestine speech

Arab ministers condemn Israel 'ban' on planned West Bank visit
Politics

Arab ministers condemn Israeli ban on planned West Bank visit

Major General Hu Gangfeng, Vice President, National Defense University, People's Liberation Army, China, leaves after a panel discussion during the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
Politics

China blasts Hegseth, calls US top 'troublemaker' in Asia-Pacific

US activists demand shutdown of Musk's 'dirty' supercomputer: Reports
Technology

US activists demand shutdown of Musk's 'dirty' supercomputer: NBC News

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS