NAGPRA—or the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act—was signed into law on November 16, 1990. At its core, NAGPRA was created to address the historical mistreatment of Native American human remains and cultural items. NAGPRA requires federal agencies and cultural institutions (e.g. museums, universities, state agencies, and local governments) that receive federal funds to repatriate (or return) ancestors, sacred objects, funerary objects, and objects of cultural patrimony to lineal descendants and culturally affiliated federally recognized tribes and nations.
A wide variety of items can be repatriated including, but not limited to, lithic artifacts, pottery, and jewelry. NAGPRA also mandates consultation with tribes and outlines procedures for handling the return of these items. If you want to do a deeper dive into details of the law and regulations, you can check them out here: NAGPRA Law and NAGPRA Regulations.
PHMC Signage for deinstallation of exhibit in accordance with NAGPRA. Photo taken by Justin McKeel, 2026.
Changes to NAGPRA Over the Years
NAGPRA has seen a few changes over the years. As mentioned above, NAGPRA was passed in 1990, with an amendment in 2010, and then new regulations in January of 2024. Significant changes were made to the law in 2024 because museums were not meeting compliance requirements. The new rules require museums obtain free, prior, and informed consent from tribes and nations before allowing exhibition of, access to, or research on human remains and cultural items. This includes visual access and any data collection, including taking photographs.
The new rules also establish strict timelines for the return of cultural items. Moving forward, ancestors, and associated funerary objects must be made available for repatriation within two years of being identified in a collection.
The 2024 rules also require greater deference to the Indigenous knowledge of the tribes and lineal descendants in the repatriation process. It is important to note that only Federally recognized tribes or lineal descendants can make claims to ancestral remains and cultural objects.
The revised rules emphasize collaboration between museums and tribes, and they provide a clearer path for consultation. Ultimately, NAGPRA is about building trust and understanding to bring about reconciliation and enduring relationships. The program is administered by the National Park Service’s National NAGPRA program who is responsible for ensuring compliance with its provisions and there are penalties for non-compliance.
National NAGPRA logo, 2026.
Archaeology Curation Section
To meet NAGPRA requirements, the Archaeology Curation Section of the SHPO is working with federally recognized tribes and nations on the respectful return of their ancestors and sacred objects held in PHMC collections. The Curation Section completed deinstallation of NAGPRA items on display in the State Museum of Pennsylvania. Staff have also worked to remove publicly facing images of NAGPRA items from PHMC websites.
We anticipate this work will be ongoing as new holdings and received or identified. NAGPRA is an ongoing commitment to communicate and collaborate with Native Nations.
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