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

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.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 29

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

Accepted Paper Series