The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) is a Federal law enacted in 1990 to resolve and restore the rights of Native American lineal descendants and tribes to human remains and cultural items. California NAGPRA state law was introduced in 2001 to aid the Federal NAGPRA and further the process of repatriation to California Native American Tribes.
NAGPRA requires museums, agencies, and universities that accept Federal funding to consult with Native American tribes regarding the repatriation of human remains and cultural items which were discovered on Federal or Tribal lands after 1990.
UC campuses hold Native American human remains and cultural items subject to NAGPRA. UC Santa Barbara is working with local Tribes to return claimed human remains and cultural items. It is a slow process but UC Santa Barbara is dedicated to the repatriation efforts.