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
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: Suggested Citation