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Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act

The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, or NAGPRA, is a federal law passed in 1990. It mandates institutions Repatriate, or return, Native American Ancestral Remains, sacred, burial, and other culturally significant items to direct descendants and federally recognized Tribes. NAGPRA provides a legal framework and pathway for these processes to take place. 

The McClung Museum is fully committed to the ethical and legal principles of NAGPRA. Since the law’s inception, the McClung Museum has been working in consultation with Native partners to identify and respectfully return cultural items.  

The McClung Museum currently cares for cultural items and Ancestral Remains from Tennessee’s regional Native heritage that were collected through archaeological excavations or donated from private collections. The Ancestral Remains and many of the materials have been identified by Native communities for Repatriation through NAGPRA. The McClung will continue to collaborate with the Office of Repatriation and Native communities as a part of this process.