We work with Indian tribes, museums, universities, and governmental agencies on Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) compliance projects. 

Services

Grant Writing - NAGPRA Documentation Grants ($75,000 max)

We are still batting 1000!  100% of the NAGPRA Consultation/Documentation grant proposals that we have written have been funded.  Since 1999, our grant writing has raised over $700,000 for NAGPRA compliance projects (as of January 2008).  Your Indian tribe or museum may be eligible for a $75,000 award from the National NAGPRA Program and if you would like, we can help you apply.

 NAGPRA Consultation Support

There is a tremendous amount of work that goes into NAGPRA consultation planning, implementation, documentation, and follow-up.  Bernstein & Associates helps Indian tribes, museums, and federal agencies with all phases to whatever degree suits your needs: 

• Meeting planning services

• Consultation preparation services including document research and assembly

• Consultation documentation services

• Post consultation follow-up services

Official tribal representatives frequently praise our staff's tribal-based, insightful, respectful approach to consultation.

We have organized meeting with Indian tribes from the Southwest, the Great Plains, the Southeast, and the Northwest.

 Repatriation

Our staff has facilitated repatriations of covered items to Indian tribes in the Southeast, Southwest, and Great Plains.  Bernstein & Associates is available to:

• Write a repatriation grant proposal for up to $15,000 to defray the costs associated with reburial

• Help write and assess repatriation requests to ensure that they meet legal guidelines

• Write notices of intent to repatriate

• Facilitate repatriations, physical transfers, and reburials

 NAGPRA Summary and Human Remains Inventory Preparation

Some museums and federal agencies have not yet completed NAGPRA Summaries and Inventories for all collections. 

Additional NAGPRA Services

• Design a compliance plan and draft an appropriate letter to the National NAGPRA program apprizing that office of the plan

• Assess Native American collections to determine which Indian tribes may have an interest and should receive Summaries and Human Remains Inventories

• Use our Native American Contact database to generate mailing labels and personalized letters addressed to each Indian tribes elected leader and official NAGPRA representative

• Suggest appropriate content for correspondence to accompany consultation initiation, summaries, inventories, and notices of inventory completion

•  Write notices of inventory completion

• In the case of federal agencies, liaise with colleges and universities in the possession of NAGPRA materials under federal control

 Services tailored to your needs

Our staff has extensive experience in all aspects of NAGPRA compliance plus years of project management and museum collections management experience.  

QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD BE ASKING YOURSELF ABOUT NAGPRA

 Has your Indian tribe had a chance to follow-up on all those NAGPRA summaries and inventories?

• If you have not viewed collections and consulted with every museum and agencies that sent NAGPRA summaries and inventories, we can help you obtain funding and plan travel.  We can also help you organize those documents and track repatriation projects. 

• If there are items in museums that you would like repatriated, we can help by writing grants and managing logistics.

 What are the benefits of NAGPRA compliance for museums and agencies? 

• Full consultation with every Indian tribe that received your Section 6 summary is mandated by the Act and these consultations can lead to new partnerships that result in full compliance as well as improved exhibits, educational programs, and curation practices.  We can help by writing grants to fund tribal visits. 

• An organization that implements consultation directly related to the repatriation and final disposition of human remains sends a positive message that the organization believes in the spirit of the Act as well as the letter of the Law.   We can help build positive relationships with Indian tribes.

 What are the ramifications of non-compliance for museums, universities, and agencies?

• Violations of the Act are subject to significant monetary penalties. 

• Human remains, funerary objects, and sacred objects languish in storage vaults.

• The public perception of the organization may be tarnished.