On September 11, 2011, Hui Mālama I Nā Kūpuna O Hawai‘i Nei (Hui Mālama) successfully repatriated one ancestral skull (iwi po‘o) from the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons in London, England. This follows only a year after the successful international repatriation of ancestral bones (iwi kūpuna) and 2 funerary objects (moepū) from the Maidstone Museum in Kent, England.

 After more than 20 years of pursuing international repatriations, Hui Mālama is fully aware of the processes involved in negotiations with international repositories. These have historically involved lengthy consultations, discussions, education, and red tape. But, more recently, the United Kingdom has begun to shift hard line, and traditionally abused scientific reasoning to support the non-consensual retention of indigenous ancestral remains and cultural objects within their collections, toward accepting the moral, ethical, and equality-based abuses embedded within this human rights issue. In addition, the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) supports international repatriation in Article 12. The UNDRIP has been signed by all countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States, signaling the adoption of international repatriation of ancestral remains and cultural objects as an international norm. As a result, museums and activists in the United Kingdom have begun to address repatriating indigenous ancestral remains within their collections.

In the United States, the Association on American Indian Affairs (AAIA) has started researching international collections and helping Native communities work toward international repatriation. But, allies in international repatriation, working on-the-ground in countries outside of the United States are also assisting indigenous communities. Four Directions UK, through the work of David Meanwell, notified Hui Mālama of the ancestral remains in both the Hunterian Museum and the Maidstone Museum. As a result of the work of such organizations working in partnership with indigenous communities, international repatriations may begin occurring in a more reasonable time. In the case of Hui Mālama and Four Directions UK, it only took one year to repatriate internationally, a vast difference in the average time it has taken communities in the past.

 Edward Halealoha Ayau, Executive Director of Hui Mālama states, “The two successful repatriations from the Maidstone Museum and the Hunterian Museum have restored our faith in institutions in the United Kingdom to recognize our cultural kuleana (duty, privilege) to care for our ancestors through repatriation and reburial. However, more work needs to be done, especially with efforts to identify and consult with Indian Tribes whose ancestors are also held in UK collections and repositories.”

One of the major problems associated with international repatriation efforts is that international museums do not know who to contact in Native American communities, and, unfortunately, often have not fully identified the indigenous community origins of their collections.

The international repatriations by Hui Mālama from the Hunterian and Maidstone Museums are encouraging for international repatriation efforts of ancestral remains and funerary objects from the United Kingdom. The International Repatriation blog looks forward to reporting more of this positive news for Native American communities to its readers in the future!

- Honor Keeler

JULY 1 Deadline For Comments in Anticipation of the Discretionary Review of the NAGPRA Regulations

Fifteen years have passed since the initial regulations implementing NAGPRA became effective. During that time, Indian tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, museums, and Federal agencies have acquired considerable practical experience in NAGPRA compliance. The Department of the Interior wishes to take advantage of that accumulated experience in a first-ever discretionary review of the current NAGPRA regulations. The purpose of the review is in order to address two questions: (1) Based on 15 years of use, do the rules currently codified at 43 C.F.R. Part 10 need any amendments, such as (but not limited to) corrections, clarifications, or refinements?; and (2) If the answer is yes, then how should the rules be amended?

In anticipation of the review, the National NAGPRA Program and the Department of the Interior’s Office of the Solicitor conducted individual listening sessions with Federal agency-wide and department-wide NAGPRA coordinators, Indian tribal governments, and the entire public. During those sessions, several speakers addressed the questions presented. Their comments will be considered during the review. At this time, anyone who wishes to address the questions presented and to have their comments considered during the review may do so through July 1, by sending your comments to David Tarler, at david_tarler@nps.gov.

The International Repatriation Project is a collaborative project which is meant to bring indigenous communities together in a concerted effort to address this major issue in indigenous rights. These rights have been enumerated in international documents such as the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Because the United States just recently endorsed the UNDRIP, this is the best time for indigenous communities in the United States to advocate for international repatriation.

In Article 11, the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples specifically calls for the “right to practice and revitalize […] cultural traditions and customs” and asserts that “[s]tates shall provide redress through effective mechanisms, which may include restitution, developed in conjunction with indigenous peoples, with respect to their cultural, intellectual, religious and spiritual property taken without their free, prior and informed consent or in violation of their laws, traditions and customs.” Article 12 further asserts that “[i]ndigenous peoples have […] the right to the use and control of their ceremonial objects [...] [and] the right to the repatriation of their human remains.” It also states that “[s]tates shall seek to enable the access and/or repatriation of ceremonial objects and human remains in their possession […].”

International Repatriation will be a long process for any indigenous community, but the more communities work together to help each other in the process through contacts and information, the easier the process will become. Some (though few) European museums are establishing international repatriation policies, particularly given the international repatriations that have occurred to indigenous communities in New Zealand and Australia. In other words, these museums are responding to the growing need they are facing and anticipating future international repatriations.

The International Repatriation Project, like so many other efforts, will need help and assistance to continue. The Association on American Indian Affairs would appreciate any help to keep the project going. Please contact Jack Trope, Executive Director of the Association on American Indian Affairs, at 240-314-7155 or jt.aaia@verizon.net for further information about how to donate or collaborate with the project.