Claiming the Shields: Law, Anthropology, and the Role of Storytelling in a NAGPRA Repatriation Case Study

Journal of Land, Resources & Environmental Law, Vol. 29, No. 1, p. 91, 2009

29 Pages Posted: 5 Jan 2010

See all articles by Debora Threedy

Debora Threedy

University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law

Date Written: 2009

Abstract

This article is a case study of a repatriation dispute under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The dispute arose when different tribal groups claimed a set of three leather shields held by the National Park Service. The article examines in depth the claims of the three groups, focusing on the disconnect between legal and anthropological determinations of cultural affiliation and using storytelling as a lens to evaluate the claims.

Keywords: NAGPRA, Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, law and anthropology, storytelling, sacred object, archaeological artifact, tribe, tribal dispute, repatriation, Indian law, Native American rights

JEL Classification: K11, K30, K32, Q38

Suggested Citation

Threedy, Debora, Claiming the Shields: Law, Anthropology, and the Role of Storytelling in a NAGPRA Repatriation Case Study (2009). Journal of Land, Resources & Environmental Law, Vol. 29, No. 1, p. 91, 2009, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1531700

Debora Threedy (Contact Author)

University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law ( email )

383 S. University Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0730
United States

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