The year 2023 saw substantially more ancestral remains returned to tribal nations than any time since the passage of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) — and more repatriations are in the works. That’s the stunning assessment by the news outlet ProPublica. The progress in complying with federal law after years of resistance follows ProPublica’s own investigation into institutions’ failure to hand over remains and steady pressure by tribes and organizations like the Association on American Indian Affairs. We’ll find out about what it took to overcome decades of resistance by museums, universities, and other institutions and what else needs to be done.
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GUESTS
Mary Hudetz (Apsáalooke, Crow), investigative reporter for ProPublica
Shannon O’Loughlin (citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma), chief executive and lawyer with the Association on American Indian Affairs