On Monday, December 10th, 2018, the Law Library of Congress invites you to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the UN adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with a panel discussion, “Repatriating Native American Cultural Property and Remains.” Repatriation is the process whereby specific kinds of American Indian cultural items in a museum collection are returned to lineal descendants and culturally affiliated Indian tribes, Alaska Native clans or villages, and/or Native Hawaiian organizations. Human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony are all materials that may be considered for repatriation.
Join Law Librarian, Jane Sánchez, who will moderate a discussion about the two federal laws that mandate repatriation programs: the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and the National Museum of the American Indian Act (NMAI Act). Panelists will share case studies about their experiences with repatriation and explore the roles of cultural institutions in this process. Panelists include Sarah Glass, Notice and Grant Coordinator at the National NAGPRA Program, National Park Service; Shannon Keller O’Loughlin, Executive Director of the Association on American Indian Affairs; and Emily Palus, Deputy Division Chief of Cultural, Paleontological Resources and Tribal Consultation, Bureau of Land Management.
The discussion will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, December 10, in the West Dining Room, located on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C. The program is free and open to the public. While tickets are not required, registration is not a guarantee of admission. Seating is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
You can register for the event here.
Please request ADA accommodations at least five business days in advance by contacting (202) 707-6362 or [email protected].