Repatriation Criteria
The 1989 act applied only to the repatriation of Indian and Native Hawaiian human remains and funerary objects. The NMAIA was amended in 1996 to include additional categories derived from the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act enacted in 1990, with similar definitions:
- Human remains
- Associated funerary objects
- Unassociated funerary objects
- Sacred objects
- Objects of cultural patrimony
The 1996 amendment also established specific deadlines for the Smithsonian complete its summary and inventory tasks. The National Museum of Natural History posted collection summaries on its website. By 2007, the remains of 18.568 individuals had been identified. Of these, remains representing 5,435 individuals (29%) had been offered for repatriation to linenl descendants or culturally affiliated Indian lribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. By 1996, the National Museum of the American Indian had identified the remains of 524 individuals in its collection, of which 227 (41%) had already been repatriated.
Read more about this topic: National Museum Of American Indian Act
Famous quotes containing the word criteria:
“We should have learnt by now that laws and court decisions can only point the way. They can establish criteria of right and wrong. And they can provide a basis for rooting out the evils of bigotry and racism. But they cannot wipe away centuries of oppression and injustice—however much we might desire it.”
—Hubert H. Humphrey (1911–1978)