The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) passed in 1990 marks a new phase in the relationship of museums and Native peoples. The American Section is actively involved in an ongoing dialogue with Native American and Native Hawaiian groups to reevaluate the ownership of human remains, funerary and sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony in the Museum's Collection.

NAGPRA consultations (like the one shown here on the left) have been extremely productive. They have led to corrections to the Museum's records and provided a better understanding of the proper care and handling of the objects. Equally important, they have resulted in significant new relationships between the Museum and Native groups and several new collaborative projects are underway.

The Museum is committed to acquiring contemporary examples of Native art in order to understand and document Native ways of life and values in the twenty-first century. Although funds for collecting activities are limited, recent acquisitions have been made from the Alaskan Arctic, the Northwest Coast, the Pueblo Southwest, and the Southeast.

The Museum is also working assiduously to expand the use of its collections and to make them available to Native communities. Examples include loans and traveling exhibitions, our ongoing collaboration with the National Museum of the American Indian's artist in residence program, the production of publications, sharing of images and information, and encouragement offered to Native people to participate in Museum activities.