How to Contact the NAGPRA Office
Julie Olds,
Cultural Resources Officer, NAGPRA Committee Chair
Email: jolds@miamination.com
Scott Willard,
NAGPRA Program Director, NAGPRA Committee Vice-Chair
Email: swillard@miamination.com
Robin Lash,
NAGPRA General Council, NAGPRA Committee Member
Email: rlash@miamination.com
Morgan Lippert,
NAGPRA Historian & Archivist
Email: mlippert@miamination.com
Algonquin Consultants
Rebecca Hawkins,
Contract Archaeologist
Mission Statement
The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, NAGPRA, was enacted by Congress in 1990 in hopes for encouraging a dialogue between museums and Native American tribes. With the passing of the bill, Congress acknowledged that remains and cultural items rightfully belong to the lineal descendants of those that lived on tribal lands. The purpose of the law is to ensure a respectful transfer of these remains and objects to their rightful owners, to better preserve the past of all people, and to understand the important role that museums serve in society by preserving the past. It is the goal of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma to aid museums in becoming NAGPRA compliant with their inventories. This is done by consulting with museums across the tribe’s ancestral homelands, protecting the remains and cultural items significant to the tribe, and assist in the repatriating or transferring of any objects that maybe have cultural importance to the Miami people. The Miami tribe is interested in consulting with any federal agencies, museums, universities, state agencies, local governments, or any institution that receives Federal funds and may have objects of cultural significance to the tribe.
Statement on Consultation and Compliance
The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma s committed to the proper and comprehensive application of the consultation process provided by federal law to repatriate and return our ancestors peacefully back to the earth and endorse the concept of compliance as the good faith efforts of institutions to consult with federally recognized Tribes as stated in the NAGPRA Act.
To that end, we acknowledge those institutions that are directly and actively engaged in consultation with Federally Recognized Indian Tribes. the two-year deadline proposed in the current draft regulations with the four other failed deadlines that National NAGPRA has failed to enforce.
The Miami Tribe NAGPRA Program believes that relationship-building is vital in the consultation process. Relationship building, as well as a proper, ethical, and moral consultation process, takes time. We do not feel the need to rush consultation to cover for the failed policies of others.
We encourage all institutions who, after 30 years, have not begun the NAGPRA process of consultation with Federally Recognized Tribes to start as soon as practicable. The new generation of archeologists and administrators who recognize the importance of complying with Federal NAGPRA Law. We offer our assistance in their compliance efforts.