Campus News
Important Notice: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) campuswide responsibilities
It is a fundamental objective and value of UC to repatriate Native American and Native Hawaiian ancestors and cultural items as expeditiously and respectfully as possible.
Dear UC Santa Cruz Campus Community,
I write to raise awareness of UC Santa Cruz’s responsibilities under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA)and California NAGPRA (CalNAGPRA), and to share the guiding principles and procedures of the UC Native American Cultural Affiliation and Repatriation Policy.
NAGPRA and CalNAGPRA were enacted to address the rights of Native American and Native Hawaiian tribes and lineal descendants to their ancestors and cultural items. It is a fundamental objective and value of UC to repatriate Native American and Native Hawaiian ancestors and cultural items as expeditiously and respectfully as possible.
Your assistance is needed in this important human rights and cultural heritage effort, particularly in identifying any previously unreported Native American and Native Hawaiian human remains or cultural items. UC policy requires campuses to:
- Review all departments and units historically engaged in studies with human remains or cultural items and all departments or units identified by department deans, chairs, or unit heads as potentially holding Native American or Native Hawaiian human remains or cultural items.
- Review existing collections, including all collections that contain Native American archaeological or ethnographic objects or other holdings that may potentially contain Native American or Native Hawaiian human remains or cultural items.
- Prohibit the use of Native American or Native Hawaiian human remains or cultural items in research or instructional activities without tribal and university approval.
- Consult with tribes regarding traditional practices for the care of ancestral human remains and cultural items.
As the Chancellor’s Designee under the UC Policy, I am responsible for campus oversight, compliance, and decision-making associated with this policy, NAGPRA, and CalNAGPRA. Victoria Jennings serves as the Campus Repatriation and Tribal Collaborations Coordinator under the policy and has been delegated authority to implement the policy.
In alignment with our ongoing campus-wide review, I will reach out to department deans, chairs, and unit heads with further instruction. I kindly request the continued cooperation of all UC faculty, staff, and students with the Repatriation and Tribal Collaborations staff in carrying out this review.
For updated information regarding the policy, please visit https://www.ucop.edu/nagpra. For additional information regarding UC Santa Cruz’s NAGPRA compliance efforts, please visit https://officeofresearch.ucsc.edu/compliance/nagpra/. Please contact UC Santa Cruz Repatriation and Tribal Collaborations Coordinator Victoria Jennings at victoriajennings@ucsc.edu or (831) 459–5808 with any questions regarding the policy, or if you believe you or others may hold Native American or Native Hawaiian human remains or cultural items that have not previously been reported.
We appreciate your attention and full cooperation with this important policy.
Sincerely,
John
John MacMillan
Interim Campus Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
Vice Chancellor for Research
Chancellor’s Designee for Repatriation