Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation in California State Parks
NAGPRA, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, (25 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.,) is a United States federal law passed in November 1990. NAGPRA requires federal agencies and institutions that receive federal funding to return Native American cultural items to their respective peoples. In addition, the Act establishes a program of federal grants to assist in the repatriation process and authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to assess civil penalties on museums that fail to comply.
CalNAGPRA, the California Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 2001, was passed with the intent to cover gaps in the federal NAGPRA specific to the State of California. In 2020, AB 275 was passed and signed to strengthen CalNAGPRA for non-federally recognized California Native American tribes and elevate the status of tribal traditional knowledge in determining cultural affiliation and identifying cultural items, among other changes to the law. CalNAGPRA runs concurrently with federal NAGPRA.
The California Department of Parks and Recreation’s Tribal Affairs Program, in partnership with the Tribal Justice Project in the Aoki Center for Critical Race and Nation Studies at UC Davis School of Law, is currently developing guidelines, procedures, and policies surrounding NAGPRA compliance.
Department NAGPRA Coordinator
Leslie L. Hartzell, Cultural Resources Division Chief, is the Department’s Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act Coordinator. As the Department NAGPRA Coordinator, she is actively working with culturally affiliated tribes throughout the state to identify and repatriate the remains of their ancestors and other cultural items.
The Department NAGPRA Coordinator is responsible for the Department’s compliance with NAGPRA and the receiving and review of repatriation claims and facilitating NAGPRA-required consultations. Other duties of the Coordinator include the preparation and presentation of information on tribal claims and consultation to designated Native American groups, maintaining permanent files of notifications and claims, representing the Department’s repatriation program to California Native American tribes, other state agencies and the museum and archaeological communities
Tribes interested in consultation regarding NAGPRA should contact the NAGPRA Coordinator, Leslie L. Hartzell, Cultural Resources Division Chief.
Contact State Department NAGPRA Coordinator
Recent Notices
The web links below are recent notices from DPR that have been published in the Federal Register:
A Notice of Inventory Completion is published in the Federal Register when a collection contains culturally affiliated human remains and associated funerary objects.
Notice of Inventory Completion [Fed. Register Vol. 83, No. 201 (Wednesday, October 17, 2018)] One site affiliated with Achumawi tribes
Notice of Inventory Completion [Fed. Register Vol. 83, No. 201 (Wednesday, October 17, 2018)] CA-SBR-117
Notice of Inventory Completion [Fed. Register Vol. 81, No. 17 (Wednesday, January 27, 2016)] Two sites affiliated with Chumash tribes
Notice of Inventory Completion [Fed. Register Vol. 81, No. 17 (Wednesday, January 27, 2016)] Six sites affiliated with Chumash Tribes
Notice of Inventory Completion [Fed. Register Vol. 77, No. 63 (Monday, April 2, 2012)] Three sites affiliated with Kumeyaay tribes
Notice of Inventory Completion [Fed. Register Vol. 77, No. 63 (Monday, April 2, 2012)] Three sites affiliated with Cahuilla and Kumeyaay tribes
Notice of Inventory Completion [Fed. Register Vol. 77, No. 63 (Monday, April 2, 2012)] Ten sites affiliated with Cahuilla tribes
Notice of Inventory Completion [Fed. Register Vol. 77, No. 52 (Friday, March 16, 2012)] CA-SAC-199
Notice of Inventory Completion [Fed. Register Vol. 77, No. 51 (Friday, March 16, 2012)] CA-LAK-425
A Notice of Intent to Repatriate is published in the Federal Register when a collection contains culturally affiliated unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, and items of cultural patrimony.
Notice of Intent to Repatriate [Fed. Register Volume 77, No. 63 (Monday, April 2, 2012)] Eight sites affiliated with Kumeyaay tribes
Notice of Intent to Repatriate [Fed. Register Volume 77, No. 63 (Monday, April 2, 2012)] 12 sites affiliated with Cahuilla and Kumeyaay tribes
Notice of Intent to Repatriate [Fed. Register Volume 77, No. 63 (Monday, April 2, 2012)] Ten sites affiliated with Cahuilla tribes