Archaeological Update: NAGPRA rethinks handling of animal remains

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Chance Ward is the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Coordinator for the State of Colorado and the Office of the State Archaeologists. One day, while opening a box of horse remains, Ward saw a devastating site. 

According to Phys.org, “…when he looked inside the packages, he sometimes found bones in disarray— horse remains were in bags and boxes with little care or cushioning and had banged together in transit, sometimes causing damage.”

Phys.org explained that NAGPRA was legislated in 1990, and “It requires institutions that receive federal funding to return human remains, sacred objects and more to Indigenous people.” Through enacting NAGPRA, “Congress recognized that human remains of any ancestry ‘must at all times be treated with dignity and respect.’” This, however, does not include animal remains.

Ward explained, "You care for horses. You not only feed and water them, but you connect with them on a personal, spiritual level," he continued, "Even when they pass on, you still respect and honor them as non-human relatives. You don't throw them in plastic bags or boxes."

Ward is now leading a team of archaeologists and Indigenous scholars to ask museums around the country to be much more respectful of animal remains. The team has stated: “Museums must partner with Native American groups to rethink how they catalogue, store and display remains.”

According to Phys.org, the field of archaeology has a history of not always treating animal remains with respect. “During many early digs, researchers overlooked the animal bones they found during their work. They often removed those objects from their cultural context and even threw them away.”

Ward stated, "Now that Native people are getting into the museum field more, there's been a greater understanding of things like representation and having control over our own cultures and issues that affect our cultures." He explained, "The old way of doing archaeological methods is outdated and in need of fresh perspectives."

Ward and his group explained in the journal Advances in Archaeological Practice that “We recognize that there are many obstacles to implementing ethically and culturally informed care of animal remains in US museum collections. These include bandwidth and existing NAGPRA compliance efforts, handling risks and unknown treatment histories, storage and classification issues, lack of relevant institutional procedures or guidelines, and the diversity of animal relationships across Native communities.” 

Ward explained, "We need to reframe the way we think about museums. Are they places where we treat archaeological objects as inanimate things?" He continued, "Or are they places of living stewardship that come with responsibilities, some of which include connecting and listening?"

In Advances in Archaeological Practice, Ward and his team have stated, “Animal remains are not usually treated with the same care as human remains or funerary objects subject to NAGPRA, but Indigenous concepts of personhood do not always make distinctions between human and animal.” They conclude, “The approach offered here holds the promise of restoring trust and shared stewardship to animal collections and of generating a future for museums that is restorative and ethical.”