NAGPRA’s Influence on the Repatriation of African-Descendant Artifacts and Ancestors

By Kaityn Coombs, August 2024

I have always been proud of my identity, and as a student minoring in anthropology, I have learned how it has been shaped through history. The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act has made important strides in its attempt to return artifacts and ancestors to the descendants of their affiliated tribes. However, even 30 years later this attempt is not without pushback from many institutions who are hesitant to comply with the federal law. Much of this hesitation comes from a lack of knowledge of what lies in the halls of their collections. It is estimated that “at least 110,000 Native American ancestors have yet to be returned,” partly due to a poor record of their holdings, but due to a lack of compliance. Nonetheless, due to the attention NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protections and Repatriation Act) has brought to the public about the repatriation of culturally affiliated remains, funerary objects, and sacred objects, many are beginning to see the importance of expanding these protections to other cultural groups¹. Currently, the remains of African Americans have little to no protection under federal law. In my blog, I will share the outcome of learning about ADAA through my internship with NAGPRA at OU   

A law protecting the remains of African-descended ancestors and sacred objects would be meaningful not only to me but to the black community. Similar to Native Americans, Black Americans and Black people have been significantly impacted by colonization. One consequence of colonization, which is hardly discussed outside the museum world, is the presence of our Ancestors’ remains in exhibits and collections worldwide without their consent or the consent of their descendants. Before my internship at the Sam Noble Museum, I had no prior knowledge of the amount of human remains that archeologists had unrightfully excavated. Additionally, I had no knowledge of the fight to protect African ancestral remains. To be completely honest, I had not even really thought about it until Ricardo Higelin Ponce De Leon, the resident bioarcheologist, mentioned it to me. Luckily, he did because I found out that African Americans, Native Americans, and Chicanos have been fighting to gain similar protections like those provided to Native American people by NAGPRA. Furthermore, I decided to look deeper into the similarities and differences between NAGPRA and the proposed ADGRPRA, The African Descendent Grave Protection and Repatriation Act.   

Although the basis of the two laws are very similar, there are some minor differences. Both acts strive to protect burial grounds and repatriate the human remains of ancestors. They also involve the repatriation of ancestors and artifacts, however, in this process, there are some differences. For the repatriation of African Ancestors, museums will aim to use “archival and community-based research” ² to construct their genealogical backgrounds. This is due to the lack of tribal history we would find in the NAGPRA processes. Another difference is the procedure for unidentified remains, ADGPRA aspires to the reburial of the ancestors at a national cemetery, “similar to the African Burial Ground Monument” that can be found in New York. Although these acts may have different methods, their principles remain the same. They both aim to make way for the repatriation of Ancestors who have been mistreated and misused in the past.  

My time here at the Sam Noble Museum has taught me about the importance of laws protecting Native American and African American Heritage. It has also made me want to fight for similar rights for my community. The remains and funerary objects of African Ancestors deserve respect and protection, and laws like ADGPRA are just the beginning. In the same way, we should be advocating for the repatriation of all human remains and objects that were stolen from those who were colonized. 

Bibliography 

Domeischel, Jenna, and Angela Neller. “Lessons from NAGPRA: Preparing Institutions for an African American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.” Advances in Archaeological Practice 12, no. 1 (2024): 13–19. https://doi-org.ezproxy.lib.ou.edu/10.1017/aap.2023.40. 

Miles, Christina, Neve Diaz-Carr, Noah Kim, and Daphne Dluzniewski. “The Case for an African American Repatriation Act.” Brown Political Review, December 10, 2022. https://brownpoliticalreview.org/2022/12/the-case-for-an-african-american-repatriation-act/.  

My Experiences with NAGPRA as an Intern at the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History

By Drizella Valerio, July 2024

I applied for and began my journey as a NAGPRA Collections Assistant Intern at the Sam Noble Museum on December 31, 2023. I came into this internship not knowing what to expect and how it would differ from traditional classwork. In previous classes, we discussed NAGPRA basics, museums out of compliance with the regulations, unethical practices, and analyzed articles that critiqued the law instead of discussing the benefits and cooperation the law brought forward between communities.

Naturally, when I got the opportunity, I was nervous and scared. I was scared that the negative and unethical practices I learned in previous classes would be true here at the Sam Noble Museum. Would I have to witness unethical work and improper care of ancestral remains and funerary objects? If I were to speak up on these issues, would my position be in danger? Would I witness that the work being done was due to a requirement and not for repatriation? I can proudly say I was completely wrong. I loved my time interning at the Sam Noble Museum, from the work to the cooperation of colleagues. My time in the bioarcheological section consisted of helping the head bioarcheologist process burials. Through this internship, I learned about the new revised NAGPRA regulations for 2024, including updates on ethical forms of care and archaeological collections management. Museums and federal agencies must update inventories and consult with tribes about ancestral remains within five years. Federal agencies and museums are also required to obtain free, informed consent from tribes prior to any exhibition or research on ancestral remains and funerary objects. These are only a few of the adaptations to the law that have been set in place for these upcoming years. 

Everything in the archeological department, from a rock to prehistoric ceramic to ancestral remains, is handled with care at the Sam Noble Museum.

Reflecting on my fears, I appreciated how much consideration went into bundling ancestral remains. For example, we use unbuffered tissue paper and other natural materials to ensure that no harm will come to the ancestral remains. We also use unbleached 100% cotton muslin out of respect for the individuals when entrusted with caring for them. We care for the ancestors until the affiliated tribe is ready to take custody and proceed with reburial. Everything in the archeological department, from a rock to prehistoric ceramic to ancestral remains, is handled with care at the Sam Noble Museum. Everyone in this department understands the fundamental reason that everything must be treated in an ethical fashion. We continue to have conversations on areas we can improve. Everyone’s input is valued, and everyone gathers to remember why we do what we do. We understand that delaying repatriation for so long has had a deep and negative impact on Native Americans. However, I learned that this department is trying their best to redress this issue and promote healing—little by little.  

Click here to learn about the updated NAGPRA 2024 legislation: https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1207/interior-department-announces-final-rule-for-implementation-of-the-native-american-graves-protection-and-repatriation-act.htm#:~:text=The%20final%20rule%20makes%20a,lineal%20descendants%2C%20Tribes%20and%20NHOs.

Embracing NAGPRA

By Jacoby Foust, June 2024

In 1990, the United States Congress passed a Federal law that mandated the return of Native American human remains and funerary objects held by state and federally-funded museums. The law also provides a basis for protecting Indigenous burial grounds and otherwise sacred or religious sites. The native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, or NAGPRA, was one small step toward reconciling with the violent past of colonial America. After hundreds of years of academic institutions exploiting indigenous cultures with impunity, the passing of NAGPRA established the foundations for the repatriation of tribal ancestors and their burial possessions. 

As an Indigenous person, NAGPRA is extremely important to me. As a member of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, I have seen and felt the effects that colonialism has had and still has upon my people, including but not limited to forced migration to a land unknown, damage to our cultural heritage (i.e., language and traditional knowledge), outright theft of our possessions and people, and so many more wounds. Those these scars may never fully heal, NAGPRA is a step in the right direction by providing the means for institutions to acknowledge their past wrongdoings and for closure for tribal communities as their ancestors and their possessions are safely and respectfully returned home. Though repatriation can never fully make amends for the grave injustices Native Americans have faced at the hands of colonialism, it is a step toward a brighter future as institutions act to collaborate with Native American groups to finally bring their ancestors home and lay them to rest. 

Even after 34 years of the law’s passing, there are still museums that have been slow or even directly resistant to adopt these changes. Many factors have affected the lack of repatriated ancestors and their associated funerary objects, including lack of funding, motivation, or even the fear that these laws will hamper academic rights. According to a ProPublica investigation, approximately 600 federally funded institutions are in possession of over 210,000 Native American remains that have yet to be returned to their respective descendant communities¹ 

It would be disingenuous to assert that each of these museums have been withholding ancestors and their possessions with malicious intent, but a few have been utilizing loopholes within the law to purposefully delay the repatriation process, allowing for thousands of ancestors to be ignored. However, in December 2023, the US Department of the Interior announced a final ruling for implementing the Native American Graves Protections and Repatriation Act.2 These new revisions eliminate the “culturally unidentifiable” categorization loophole that certain museums have utilized and require institutions to collaborate with descendant communities and comply with traditional knowledge, customs, tribal histories, and community wishes regarding repatriation. These changes within NAGPRA allow partnerships between institutions and respective tribal communities to flourish as they work together to get their ancestors home. 

Now that state and federally funded institutions have stricter protocols to adhere to, where will they look to model their own repatriation processes? The NAGPRA program of the Archaeology Department within the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History (Sam Noble) is an exemplary embodiment of a careful and respectful implementation of NAGPRA. As of April 14, 2024, the archaeology department has 1,847 ancestors resolved through consultations and/or published in a notice in the Federal Register. 572 ancestors are currently in consultation and are being prepared for repatriation while 1,533 are pending as we continue to attentively and delicately work with every ancestor to the descendant communities’ wishes. 

The NAGPRA team at the Sam Noble is composed of members passionately dedicated to NAGPRA with thoughtful and respectful collaboration efforts. Institutions that follow the lead of the Sam Noble have a profound impact within descendant communities so similar to my own. Through the combined efforts of tribal communities and institutions such as the Sam Noble, members of descendant communities, much like me, will finally be allowed closure as their ancestors and their belongings are repatriated and permanently laid to rest. 

Works Cited 

“Interior Department Announces Final Rule for Implementation of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.” U.S. Department of the Interior, 6 Dec. 2023, www.doi.gov/pressreleases/interior-department-announces-final-rule-implementation-native-american-graves.  

Ngu, Ash, and Andrea Suozzo. “Does Your Local Museum or University Still Have Native American Remains?” ProPublica, 11 Jan. 2023, projects.propublica.org/repatriation-nagpra-database/#:~:text=The%20University%20of%20California%2C%20Berkeley,at%20least%201%2C800%20Native%20Americans. 

Why Archaeologists Should Listen to Archivists

By Kristi Hendricks, May 2024

Greetings, fellow enthusiasts of antiquity! My name is Kristi Hendricks, and I am honored to serve as an intern at the esteemed Sam Noble Museum within the Archaeology department. Today, I extend an invitation for us to embark on a journey together, one that celebrates the often-overlooked yet invaluable partnership between archaeologists and archivists.  Trust me, it’s a match made in historical heaven! 

Graduate Intern, Kristi Hendricks

Archivists, the custodians of historical records and repositories of invaluable knowledge, stand as pillars of support for the archaeological community. In their meticulous curation of documents, manuscripts, photographs, and artifacts, they preserve the chronicles of civilizations past, providing us with a roadmap to navigate the labyrinth-like corridors of history.  
  In my role as an intern, I have been privileged to contribute to this endeavor by assisting in the digitization of historical documents. Through scanning and digitizing these invaluable records, we are not only preserving them for future generations but also making them accessible in ways previously unimaginable.  

Additionally, I have been helping to establish an organized structure in file naming, ensuring that each document is cataloged with clarity and precision. By giving each document a consistent and concise name, we’re making it easier for future researchers to find what they are looking for.

Whether it’s sorting through stacks of papers or creating a meticulously organized digital archive, every little bit helps in our quest to unravel the mysteries of the past. 

Archivists are at the forefront of adopting innovative technologies for digitization, data management, and archival research. By partnering with archivists, archaeologists can leverage these technologies to enhance their own research practices, from digitizing field notes and photographs to utilizing advanced data analysis tools for studying historical patterns and trends. 

Basically, archaeologists and archivists share a common goal: preserving and safeguarding cultural heritage for future generations. While archaeologists focus on conserving physical artifacts and archaeological sites, archivists ensure the longevity of written records and historical documents.  

In a nutshell, archaeologists and archivists make a dream team. With our files all neat and digitally in order, it is like having a treasure map with the X already marked, making our archaeological adventures feel like a thrilling treasure hunt through time! 

Navigating Archaeological Collections: A Journey through NAGPRA and Museum Loan Management

By Regan Crider, May 2023

Greetings! My name is Regan Crider, and I’m a fourth-year anthropology student at the University of Oklahoma. For over a year, I’ve been involved with the archaeology department at the Sam Noble Museum, first as a volunteer and then twice as an intern. During my first internship in the fall of 2022, I worked on a NAGPRA collection, which involved learning about Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. If you’re interested in this topic, you can check out the Bureau of Land Management’s article on NAGPRA, which is accessible through this link: https://www.blm.gov/NAGPRA. 

For my first internship, I assessed (inventoried) a large collection (154 cubic feet). NAGPRA, or the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, was not a new or unfamiliar concept to me. The goal of assessment is to assure that every artifact listed in our records is physically accounted for and no funerary objects are missed.

As an anthropology student with an archaeological focus, I had learned about NAGPRA in a few of my classes, but I didn’t understand how it actually worked. This first internship allowed me to better understand how NAGPRA was implemented in a museum and gain hands-on experience working with a collection that would someday be repatriated. My experience interning at the museum has been a wonderful educational opportunity but also an incredibly rewarding one, as I have been able to do my part in helping return artifacts to their rightful owners.

When Susie Fishman-Armstrong (Archaeology Collection Manager, NAGPRA Coordinator) asked me to return for a second internship, I was thrilled to accept. While I had enjoyed my first internship, I knew that there was much more to learn about collections work. Although I had become familiar with assessment and NAGPRA procedures, I wasn’t sure what to expect when Susie told me that I would be working on managing our department’s loans and acquisitions. 

While I was excited to learn the administrative aspects of Susie’s work, I knew I would miss the hands-on work with the artifacts I did during the first internship. I had grown to enjoy the challenge of assessing collections and solving puzzles like finding misplaced artifacts or correcting discrepancies. However, I quickly discovered that loan management was a complex puzzle in its own right. 

The Sam Noble Museum’s loan program is an important part of fulfilling its mission: to inspire minds to understand the world through collection-based research, interpretation, and education. Loans enable other institutions or researchers to access the museum’s treasures, supplementing new ideas or showcasing old ones. 

However, the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on loan management and other aspects of the museum’s operations. When I began this semester, Susie showed me a stack of files containing all the loans I would be working on. Due to the pandemic’s disruptions, many of these loans had expired or needed to be updated. My task was to gather information for each loan, such as who requested it, when was the last correspondence, and whether they still had it. I had to dig through our database, as well as make several emails and calls to track down the information. 

The loan management process was not always straightforward, however. Sometimes, loans had been declared closed prematurely without proper paperwork or final reports. In one instance, I discovered that a loan that had been closed a year ago was still at the Archaeological Survey, so I had to coordinate its return to the museum and complete an assessment to officially close the loan. 

Overall, working on loans and acquisitions has given me a more well-rounded understanding of the archaeology department’s work and how it contributes to the museum’s mission. I’ve also gained many useful skills that will be valuable for my future career in museum work. I’m looking forward to returning to work with the Sam Noble Museum and learning more about my colleagues’ fascinating projects. 

Motivation for Repatriation

By Chelsea Clark, December 2023

Chelsea Clark – Taking a walk around the Wichita Mountains Refuge

Working with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) is much different from working in any other department within a museum. Yes, all items in museum collections are delicate, valuable, and hold meanings, but not all items hold the same weight as the ancestors and sacred items that await proper return. There is much at stake when dealing with NAGPRA. For Indigenous communities, cultural heritage and ancestral relatives have been stolen time and time again. The weight of life, spirit, death, displacement, suffering, cultural genocide, community, and resilience are all represented within these collections. Each ancestor and each item are heavy and overflowing with emotion and life. Handling them can evoke the feelings of sadness, pain, and distress that these people may have felt near their death or each time they are disturbed. Connected to their descendants, there is also the emotions of having lived through, witnessed, and felt the consequences of Indigenous Peoples’ genocide and exhumation. Ancestral remains and objects do not lose their essence after finding their place in the ground, nor after being drug back into contemporary society.

The priority of NAGPRA is to repatriate, to return the ancestors and their religious objects to the descendant communities. The communities who have been suffering the loss of their cultural heritage and relatives since colonization. Recognizing the urgency and importance through an Indigenous lens is just one factor of the process of repatriation. Repatriation is a lengthy system that works to ensure that communities are receiving all of what is rightfully theirs and in the appropriate conditions. It requires funding, employees, volunteers, and motivation. Motivation is key to any movement, which means the maintenance of it is also essential. Recognizing the factors that play into motivation loss is the first step to combating it. Much of the collections’ tasks are mundane, repetitive, and time-consuming. This can cause one to believe that they are making such slow or little progress. Being surrounded by loads of work and mile long to-do lists can cause feelings of overwhelm. The process itself can be tricky as well. You may run into question after question about how to deal with certain situations. Sometimes, just when you think you almost have a site completed, it becomes complicated again. The fast-approaching deadlines can cause great amounts of stress. On top of it all, dealing with the emotional weight of being a witness and the holding accountability and responsibility of repatriation can be too heavy for one person. All of these factors can contribute to burn out and a loss of motivation at work. There are, however, tips and tricks to maintaining positivity and motivation for those working on repatriation of Museum collections.

Tip #1, remember it is the little things that count. You may spend hours of time simply replacing labels, cataloging, or organizing sites, but in the end, every step of the way is necessary to the process. Without the proper labels, how could there be an accurate account of what is being repatriated. With no physical or database organization, how would anything be found? Each task that is completed is essential to the main goal: returning the ancestors and sacred items to their descendant communities. You are helping Indigenous communities heal historical traumas. These communities have been suffering loss for hundreds of years. The loss being people, language, and traditions, at the hands of colonial genocide and the structures that continue today. Working towards repatriation and giving descendant communities the right to be involved in the process allows for the expansion of sovereignty and reversing the actions that haunt Indigenous Peoples. All the families who will be grateful to have their ancestors and culture back are part of the bigger picture that must be remembered. Here at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, the implementation of a progress whiteboard has helped greatly to visualize progress throughout the process of repatriation. The white board contains many to-do check boxes that wait to be completed. It organizes the tasks, serves as a reminder of what has been completed, and establishes both short- and long-term goals to help stay focused on repatriation.

Tip #2: Taking the time to check up on yourself and your colleagues can help relieve stressful feelings. Checking in on yourself can mean journaling, meditating, going for a walk, spending time outside, or participating in your hobbies and activities. Some places even keep a masseuse on deck for massages! Team meetings are an avenue to creating discussion and allowing team members to help each other. In the department at the SNOMNH, we have a weekly intern meeting to discuss different topics regarding NAGPRA, historical and contemporary issues, and progress which helps team members get different perspectives, validation, and opinions. It is important to recognize that it is a group effort, and that other people may be having similar feelings. If that is the case, coworkers may be able to show support through listening, conversing, and giving advice. Another tip is to stay open to hearing those who are having difficulties, it sometimes requires much courage to speak up about personal issues. If you notice anyone showing signs of extreme burn out or lack of motivation, reach out to them, or someone they may feel comfortable with, about their well-being. Creating a space for open and safe conversation at work allows for a better understanding of your teammates and the goals you are all working towards.

A Reflection of Digital Repatriation

Lauren Gastineau, Spring 2022 Collections Intern

When I entered the Sam Noble Archaeology Department as a volunteer my sophomore year, I immediately undertook the challenge of a huge feat. I had two short months to scan and digitize over 100 feet of documents, photos, and oversized maps. These text artifacts belonged to the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) collections which were being deaccessioned at the end of October of that year. Although the task seemed impossible, I was able to digitize the documentation that belonged to the collections entirely so that Sam Noble would not lose the information. When I finished this project, I was ready to start another because I loved seeing the tangible evidence of what my work could do for the museum. I also loved knowing that my contribution would help years to come. That is when we decided to completely digitize all documents, photos, and oversized text that the department sheltered. Sam Noble archives hold over 356 feet of documentation. While this may seem simple, scanning and cataloging can take time. This work is one of the foundational methodologies in digital collections. Further, investing in the beginning steps of a digital revolution is still essential.

There is now a movement in museums toward using digital repatriation alongside the work already being done under the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). Archaeologists Kelsey Grimm and Krystiana Krupa even suggest that digital repatriation could be another step in decolonizing archives (2021). The librarian-archivist and NAGPRA practitioner encourage the repatriation of archival documentation that contain ritual histories, ceremonial experiences, or burial photos. But should then the repatriation includes historical or archival recording, voice memos, and artworks displaying Native American experiences? This question addresses what NAGPRA does not cover as repatriated materials. Museum collections contain much more than just artifacts; photographs, maps, and personal writings about sites are commonly included in the site’s archives. These documents and photos do not fall under NAGPRA but still hold value within the history of the site and its affiliated tribe.

Grimm and Krupa use a case study of the Angel Mounds in Indiana to exemplify how digital repatriation applies to museums such as the Sam Noble Museum (2021). The Angel Mound site was even excavated under WPA, aligning with the majority of the sites we repatriate at the Sam Noble Museum. Since, under NAGPRA, the images and negatives collected at the Angel Mound site were not repatriated, scientists used digital copies and made publications using those images. Because materials such as photographs and drawings are not included in NAGPRA, these materials are open for research use by scientists insensitive to Native American communities. These images depicted the human remains of Native American ancestors being disturbed from their resting places and burials being taken apart. Obviously, for Native American communities, these photos and film negatives are wildly disrespectful. Because the photos are not repatriated under NAGPRA, the Angle Mound site used digital repatriation in order to cover more holistic repatriation. Those working on the repatriation of the Angel Mound site consulted with the affiliated Native tribe to help the community of Native Americans reclaims the photos taken. Now the culturally insensitive images have restricted access. Although the tribe did not want the repatriation of the original photos in this instance, their wish to have them restricted to no public access is a movement to decolonize the archive and give power to the Native American tribe through control of access to the photos that capture historical trauma.

This case study highlights how digital repatriation can help the Native American tribes give power back using digital collections. The team involved in the repatriation of Angel Mounds worked with the affiliated tribe to correctly repatriate or house materials that do not fall under NAGPRA. Although materials such as photo negatives and drawings are not under NAGPRA, the voluntary repatriation or restricted access of these materials takes decolonizing archival collections a step further. This voluntary repatriation gives the Native American tribes the power to use museums as stewards in repatriating, respecting, and representing their tribe as they wish.

Sam Noble houses collections exactly like the case study of Angel Mound. No NAGPRA site is the same, and thus each should be handled with the complete wishes and process of the affiliated tribal nation. By working with tribes not just with the objects that fall under NAGPRA but with digital collections, the repatriations “are even more powerful in their efforts to address the colonial history of collecting” (2021). The Native American tribe should ultimately decide on what is to be repatriated. It is important to be fully open with the repatriation of more than just the artifacts and remains of a site. This step will further the attempt at decolonizing archives. The practice of digital repatriation is also “a purposeful move toward addressing the historical trauma” (2021) caused by the decimation and collection of Native American burial sites. 

Digital collections, as seen in this article, cover a broad spectrum of how they can influence the processes of archaeology. Taking steps just as I have in completing the digital collections at Sam Noble can help us as a museum broaden our repatriation. Digital collections have surfaced as a methodology for voluntary repatriation. Completing the digital collections at Sam Noble Museum will allow us to work with tribes on voluntary digital repatriation. If done in collaboration with the tribal nation, this process can attempt to decolonize archives further and give the Native American community power back.

Works Cited

Krupa, Krystiana and Grimm, Kelsey. “Digital Repatriation as a Decolonizing Practice in the Archaeological Archive.” Across the Disciplines, vol. 18 no. ½ pp. 47-58, 8 November 2021. https://doi.org/0.37514/ATD-J.2021.18.1-2.05. 

Boxing the Past for the Future

By: Kian Steppe, Spring 2022 Collections Intern

*None of the images displayed in this post are subject to NAGPRA*

As an intern in the archeology department of the Sam Noble Museum, a large part of your job may be creating boxes and mounts for the many pieces of pottery in the collection. After being boxed, the pieces are made ready for their eventual return to their associated Native American Tribes. Resting on a table in the corner is the box making station, containing everything needed. A binder with instructions, hot glue, knives, Styrofoam, cardboard, and measuring equipment. At first, the many rules and guidelines to create a proper and stable mount can be overwhelming, but it gets far easier with practice.

Kian Steppe

            One of the most important aspects and simultaneously my favorite part is the carving of the foam base for the pot to rest in. Armed with a hot knife, I carefully scrape out a divot with the dimensions of the pot in question for a snug fit. There is no one size fits all way to do this, as the diversity of clay forms each requires special attention.

Before my time at the museum, I did not think too deeply about the native pottery held there. I recognized that many were objects of cultural patrimony belonging to Native American tribes which should be returned, and that they held significance in the archeological world as evidence of past cultural practices. Behind museum glass they were pretty and interesting, but far less exciting than the flint knives and traditional outfits. However, I developed a special appreciation for the artistry of the native pottery with each passing shift, due to having the privilege of being so close to the pieces.

It can be difficult to see the fine details of the pots from a distance due to the darker colors of the clay, but the designs and decorations stand out once they rest in your gloved hands. Triangles, circles, rectangles, and maze-like patterns sprawl across their surfaces. Many also had ornate handles and ornamented rims. One of my favorites in particular has a set of “cat ears” on top. The thinness of the walls of many large pieces was inspiring. In spite of their fragile nature, they held together for hundreds of years due to their expert craftsmanship. Even the “dullest” pot was still a piece to behold, with a symmetrical body and smooth curves.

Partially reconstructed jar with loop handles.
Accession Number A/1948/4 Catalog Number 34Mc8/1332.001

I got inspired after being surrounded by these works of art to make something of my own. Before I knew it a box of air dry clay was on my table at home, and I busily shaped it into small clay lanterns.

Beyond the gorgeous aesthetics of the pieces, working in the museum made me realize the intimacy many pots had with specific individuals. Often they are not found on their own, but instead in native burial sites along with human remains. It is important to recognize that these pieces are not at home on the shelf or cabinet of a storage room. That place is for the associated descendant communities to decide.

NAGPRA stands for the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. It was passed to create an outlet not only to protect native graves, remains, and cultural artifacts but to have them returned as well. Once a connection has been established between a tribe and the remains, the repatriation process can begin. On the topic of human remains, in particular, it ensures that they are treated with the dignity and respect afforded to any other American buried remains. In the case of the artifacts, NAGPRA does not simply serve the purpose of returning a group’s objects or possessions to their rightful owners, as that would be a disservice to their importance. Each pot is a beautiful, irreplaceable cultural creation. To make an analogy to a more familiar concept, it is incredibly obvious to us that famous paintings are each distinct and carry their own meaning, style, and unique attributes given by a talented artist. The pottery holds similar details and significant cultural and ritual value. Why then should they not deserve to be returned?

Interning at the museum has been a wonderful opportunity to not only get closer to the artifacts and learn about the inner workings of the museum collection world, but also do my part to help return some pieces to their rightful owners.

Practical Knowledge: How One Internship Shone Through in the Time of COVID

By: Emily Andrew, Dartmouth

I sincerely hope that your time at Sam Noble is nothing like mine. No, that’s not me slamming Sam Noble or trying to scare you away from what I’m sure will be an incredibly enjoyable and educational internship. My internship took place at what we all hope is the end of the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 and 2021. This wider context undoubtedly affected my experience in ways I cannot fully understand. However, even with these difficulties, the people and projects at Sam Noble provided me with a plethora of practical and engaging experiences, and I have upmost confidence that they will continue to do so for all their future interns.

Figure 1. Much of my training and a fair portion of my internship work was completed at home due to the precautions in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

My internship began with several simple tasks that aimed to help familiarize me with the physical locations of objects and tools within the building, with different physical tasks associated with repatriation, and, of course, with the different individuals working within the Archeology Department. The most central of these tasks was creating and attaching tags that describe important information about an object, including the provenience number, the object description and count, and the specific collection of which this object is a part. I found this task to be quite relaxing and enjoyable, though I would recommend bringing along an audiobook or podcast to enjoy while you’re working. Time flies when you’re listening to something you’re passionate about, and it will help keep you focused and prevent you from making mistakes.

The next task I was assigned to was completing assessments of several specific sites. The best way I can define assessment is by saying that it’s probably the closest you will get in this internship to the Hollywood ideal of archeologists. Don’t worry, you won’t find yourself running from rolling boulders and stealing relics from ancient tombs. Assessment is the part of the process where an individual receives a paper with all of the different objects that are supposed to be in a specific collection, and they are expected to comb through the entire collection and ensure that all of the objects are present, that their descriptions and object counts are correct, and that any issues that may require expert stabilization are properly logged and recorded in the database. It is incredibly detail-oriented work and can be quite time consuming, especially in larger collections or collections that have not been well-preserved. I have even found boxes in which all of the objects inside are still wrapped within the original paper from their excavation over 90 years ago. In this task, you will almost inevitably encounter problems, some of which you may not be able to solve on your own. That’s okay. The most important lesson that you can learn in this internship is not to be afraid to ask for help, for clarification, or for confirmation. It’s more important that these tasks be done right than fast.

I spent much of the latter half of my internship working on data entry and data correction for a variety of sites. This task is necessary right after an assessment is completed, as any new problems or resolved past issues must be recorded in the database. Data entry is rarely anyone’s favorite simply due to the monotony of it. However, without it, the entire system of the Archeology Department would almost certainly begin to break down. For me, data entry boils down to three simple truths: It will never be your favorite job at Sam Noble. It is one of the most important jobs in the entire Archeology Department. Finally, and this goes for every single task I have discussed or will discuss in the future, if you are unsure, please ask for help. The time it takes to explain something is infinitely smaller than the time it will take for someone to redo that entire project.

Near the end of my internship, I moved into the 2^nd floor lab to learn how to label artifacts with Ms. Sally Johnston, one of the department’s long-term volunteers. If you long for the days of high school chemistry and biology labs, this might end up being one of your favorite areas. Labeling artifacts isn’t particularly difficult, and anyone who has ever dreamt of becoming a nail technician might really enjoy it. Attention to detail is important, as always, but having extreme body control and finger dexterity is almost more so. Anyone labeling artifacts needs to be able to handle remarkably small objects with extreme care as to attach the remarkably small labels (that they have cut down to this size themselves) with a liquid that is essentially the same as clear fingernail polish. My most central advice for this area? If caffeine makes your hands shake, skip it on these days and, once again, bring that favorite podcast or audiobook along with you.

Overall, I would define my time at Sam Noble as one of community. Of course, I found myself learning, discovering, and practicing a variety of new skills. I learned on both a theoretical and a practical level, thanks to our various readings and my regular work on the fourth and fifth floors. However, while these aspects of the internship were obviously important, it was the community within the Museum that really made this internship stand out against all of my others. I have worked in a variety of institutions throughout my high school and college careers; yet I can only think of one other position in which I found a workplace that felt so open, friendly, and collaborative. That specific factor is what caused this internship to stand apart from the others, and, more importantly, it is what confirmed for me that this is the industry and the cause to which I hope to dedicate my life.

Sam Noble, I thank you for your time. For the knowledge that you have imparted onto me and the experiences that I have been able to enjoy. More than anything though, I thank you for the people that you have brought together and the community that you have built.

“Finding My Career Path”

By Michael Hopper

My name is Michael Hopper, and I am a senior intern for the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History for the University of Oklahoma. My major is Native American Studies and History with a concentration on Tribal Cultural Preservation. I am a full-blooded Native American raised in the traditional ways of both my Choctaw and Osage people that includes being raised a traditional Southern Strait Dancer and community member on the Osage Nation reservation in northern Oklahoma. I also grew up participating in ceremonies and religious practices with my family, which has guided my interest in ancient civilizations and cultures in the pre-colonial Americas.

This interest led me to being given the opportunity to intern in the Archaeology department under Dr. Marc Levine, Associate Curator and Susie Fishman-Armstrong, Archaeology Collections Manager and NAGPRA Coordinator. My internship focus has been on the collections relating to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The goal of the NAGPRA law is to return Native American Ancestral remains and associated funerary objects (AFOs) back to their original people. With this internship I have learned to properly care for the Ancestral objects related to NAGPRA, in preparation for their return.

Before starting this internship, like many students, I enjoyed my studies and the direction of my education, but I was struggling to find a career path that included my interests. An internship was required for my degree and I wanted to explore museum careers. Dr. Levine told me about this internship opportunity which would give me hands-on collections management experience in museums. With this opportunity, Dr. Levine and Susie Fishman-Armstrong have helped open a lot of doors for me that I had not expected. They were able to help me narrow my career path to Tribal Cultural Preservation, with a specialization in researching and implementing the laws associated with NAGPRA. With direction and encouragement from both of them, I reached out to other museums and tribal heritage programs for additional career advice.

Two of the programs they connected me to, were the Choctaw Nation and Osage Nation Cultural Preservation programs. Both Nations gave me great advice on what I should be focusing on in my studies for graduate school. The Choctaw Nation also invited me to their headquarters in Durant, Oklahoma to meet in person and tour their facilities. On that trip I was able to learn more from a tribal perspective about potential careers in tribal cultural preservation. At the end of the trip, I was offered a paid summer internship to work with the Choctaw Nation to learn more about how their program functions. Overall, this internship has meant a great deal to myself and others that have taken this opportunity before me. With the guidance of Dr. Marc Levine and Susie Fishman-Armstrong, I believe the internship will continue to be a great experience for those chosen in the future. And for me being Native American, it has meant a great deal seeing the important, hard, respectful work the Sam Noble Museum’s NAGPRA program does each and every day. I will always be personally grateful for getting to know the team and the time and energy they spent training me for a future in this field.