Consult on the ancestral remains or cultural items that are of interest to Tribes. Authorized tribal representatives include Tribal Historic Preservation Officers and/or designated individuals formally identified by Tribal leadership. 

Consulting Tribes may request access to records, catalogs, relevant studies, or other pertinent data. Discuss the Tribe’s preferences and requirements regarding storage, treatment, or handling protocols (Duty of Care).

To initiate a consultation, please complete our consultation form or contact our Repatriation Coordinator Hugh Radde (hradde@ucsb.edu or nagpra@ucsb.edu) directly. 

Based on the results of consultation, complete an inventory that includes consultation records, tribal identifications, and determinations of cultural affiliations.

The final inventory would be shared with consulting parties and submitted to the National NAGPRA Program Manager and the State of California Native American Heritage Commission.

Receive requests for repatriation and respond to each individual or Tribe. 

The UCSB NAGPRA Oversight and Implementation Committee will review claims and make a recommendation to the Chancellor.

Two or more Indian Tribes who agree to a joint repatriation may submit a single request for joint repatriation. 

For collections from California, UC consults under NAGPRA and CalNAGPRA concurrently. Note the 2024 revisions to NAGPRA regulations (43 CFR § 10), which specify that ancestral remains and associated funerary objects can no longer be repatriated directly to non-federally recognized Tribes. UC strongly encourages non-federally recognized Tribes to partner with a federally recognized Tribe throughout the consultation, claims, and repatriation process. Requests for repatriation from a non-federally recognized Tribe must be joined by a request from a federally recognized Tribe.

Ancestral remains or cultural items meeting the definitions of cultural items under NAGPRA or CalNAGPRA can be formally claimed by authorized tribal representatives at any time.

Formal written claim letters should be addressed to Repatriation Coordinator Hugh Radde at hradde@ucsb.edu or nagpra@ucsb.edu or Chancellor’s NAGPRA Designee Garry MacPherson at gmacpherson@ucsb.edu.

Send a written repatriation statement to National NAGPRA. 

Arrange the physical transfer of ancestors, funerary objects, or cultural items according to the results of consultation with the affiliated Tribe. 

Accommodate any requests for the campus to continue to host ancestors or cultural items.