Sharing Information

Please start the consultation process by sharing all relevant information on cultural and geographical areas of interest, as well as objects of interest. This process is often started by NAGPRA Project staff.

Request for Consultation

In-person communication is a vital part of the NAGPRA process. Topics typically discussed during consultation meetings Include; establishing the tribe’s geographic area of interest or priority areas, gathering relevant information regarding cultural affiliation, discussing the designation of funerary objects, and other topics.

NAGPRA requires a formal relationship between UC Santa Barbara and the Native American Tribe. Authorized representatives can be identified in the following ways:

  • a member on the list of officially designated Tribal Preservation Officers
  • through a letter, designating the letter carrier as an authorized NAGPRA representative. Must be submitted on official letterhead and signed by the tribal leader.

Claim

Tribal representatives can claim human remains and materials at any time, as long as they meet the definitions of cultural items set by NAGPRA. A formal claim letter of request for the repatriation or disposition of the item(s) is required prior to transfer.

NAGPRA claim letters, containing evidence demonstrating cultural affiliation,  should be addressed to the NAGPRA Project Manager and include the following:

  • Accession number
  • Site number
  • Catalog numbers

Review Process

The UC Santa Barbara NAGPRA Advisory Committee will review the claims and make a recommendation to the Provost, who will make the campus determination. The campus decision will then be forwarded to the UC Office of the President for a final review by the UC Systemwide Advisory Group. During this process, NAGPRA staff and case managers will be in active communication with the tribal representative.

Federal Register Notices

Once approved, the UC Santa Barbara NAGPRA Project will submit Notices of Inventory Completion or Notices of Intent to Repatriation to National NAGPRA for review and publication to the Federal Register. Once it is published, the UC Santa Barbara will notify all tribes consulted or invited to consult. There is a mandatory 30-day waiting period before UC Santa Barbara can transfer any human remains or cultural items.

Repatriation/
Transfer

After successful completion of all previous steps, UC Santa Barbara will coordinate with claimant tribes to arrange the transfer of physical items and control. Arranging reburial can be a complex task for tribes, UC Santa Barbara will aim to accommodate any requests for the campus to continue to host human remains and cultural items. UC Santa Barbara can assist tribes with National NAGPRA Grants to help fund repatriations.