PRESS RELEASE - For Immediate Release
August 10, 2022
Media Contact: Georgia Ann Hudson
(334) 353-3312 or georgiaann.hudson@archives.alabama.gov
ALABAMA
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY BEGINS REPATRIATION OF NATIVE AMERICAN ANCESTRAL REMAINS AND FUNERARY OBJECTS; THE FIRST ALABAMIANS
EXHIBITION TO CLOSE PENDING REDESIGN
MEDIA Q&A SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 10:00 – 11:00 AT
THE ADAH
Montgomery, AL (08/10/2022) – The Alabama Department of Archives and
History (ADAH) took administrative steps today to begin the removal of certain
Native American materials from its holdings and the repatriation of the items
to federally recognized Indian tribes with historical ties to Alabama.
Repatriation is a requirement of the Native American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), a federal law enacted in 1990.
At a regular meeting of the agency’s Board of Trustees, board members
voted to deaccession, or formally remove from the agency’s catalog of permanent
collections, 37 sets of human remains and 349 associated funerary objects
(items removed from the same burials as the remains) that were excavated from
native burials at two sites in Montgomery and Lowndes counties in the early
1900s. After a period of public notice through the U.S. Department of the
Interior, legal custody of the materials will be transferred to a tribal nation
in accordance with NAGPRA.
The ADAH also announced effective today the closure of The First
Alabamians, its exhibition on Native Americans from prehistory to 1700. In
2011 and 2014 the ADAH opened exhibitions in its Museum of Alabama that rely
heavily on unassociated funerary objects (items removed from burials, but for
which no human remains are held) to interpret Native American society. The
First Alabamians contains the largest number of such funerary objects.
Additional funerary materials in Alabama Voices, the museum’s
centerpiece exhibition covering three centuries of Alabama history, have been
removed from display. All galleries except The First Alabamians will
remain open to general visitors and to school field trips.
The ADAH plans to modify the exhibitions by introducing artifacts that
were not part of burials and by incorporating significant advances in the
scholarly study of indigenous cultures over the past decade. Most notably, the
exhibits will introduce perspectives offered by numerous tribal groups and
highlight the continued vibrancy of indigenous cultures originating from Alabama.
Preliminary plans call for the revised exhibits to be open by 2026.
In 2018 the ADAH determined that it was not in compliance with NAGPRA
because only a portion of the reporting of collections required by the law had
been completed in the 1990s. The agency promptly notified the Department of the
Interior and appropriate federally recognized tribes of its findings. Four
years of intensive collections-management work, with regular updates to the
tribes and the federal government, made it possible for consultation with
tribal officials on cultural affiliation to begin in the spring of 2022.
Deaccession and repatriation of remains and funerary objects held in the
ADAH’s collections will continue over several years. At points to be
determined, physical custody of repatriated materials will transfer to the
claimant tribes, who will make decisions on the final disposition of the
materials. Reinterment of the materials in Alabama is a possible outcome.
In committing the agency to following the letter and the spirit of the
law, the Board of Trustees in May 2018 adopted a set of desired outcomes that
include legal compliance with all aspects of NAGPRA, enhanced appreciation for
native peoples’ perspectives on repatriation, sustained partnerships with
tribes, improved understanding of the ADAH collections, enhanced resources for
ongoing educational and research use, a reputation for transparent, respectful
stewardship of Native American materials, and capacity to serve as a resource
for other Alabama institutions with obligations under NAGPRA.
ADAH board chairman Joel Daves said the agency has met the high
expectations set by the trustees, thanks to the dedicated work of its staff and
a growing spirit of cooperation with tribal groups. “This is a clear example of
a state agency recognizing its obligations under the law and fulfilling those
with a commitment to professional ethics and regard for our indigenous
neighbors,” said Daves. “The Board of Trustees is grateful to our tribal
partners and looks forward to continued success in repatriation and the
development of the very best museum exhibitions we can offer to Alabamians.”
According to ADAH director Steve Murray, the work toward NAGPRA
compliance and new museum interpretation requires introspection and a
willingness to grow in understanding. “Good public history involves generous
doses of respect for the work of our predecessors, but also recognition of
where we can improve our practices to reflect a similar, high level of respect
for all the contributors to Alabama history,” said Murray. “Our exhibitions
have long sought to strengthen public awareness of the richness of Native
American culture, and they have done so successfully. Now, we recognize that the
origins of most of our archaeological collections were deeply problematic and
disrespectful of Alabama’s indigenous community. We can do better while
maintaining our dedication to growing public awareness, and we will.”
ADAH staff will be
available for media Q&A on Thursday, August 11, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am in the ADAH’s Milo B. Howard
Auditorium. For more information, contact the ADAH’s Communications
Coordinator, Georgia Ann Hudson, at (334) 353-3312 or georgiaann.hudson@archives.alabama.gov.
For additional information about the ADAH’s archaeological collections
and ongoing work toward compliance with the legal requirements and ethical
principles of NAGPRA, please see the attached Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
The federally recognized tribes invited to participate in NAGPRA
consultation with the ADAH all resided in Alabama at some point. They include: Absentee‐Shawnee
Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; Alabama‐Coushatta Tribe of Texas; Alabama-Quassarte
Tribal Town; Cherokee Nation; Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; Choctaw Nation
of Oklahoma; Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana; Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; Jena
Band of Choctaw Indians; Kialegee Tribal Town; Miccosukee Tribe of Indians; Mississippi
Band of Choctaw Indians; Muscogee (Creek) Nation; Poarch Band of Creek Indians;
Seminole Nation of Oklahoma; Seminole Tribe of Florida; Shawnee Tribe; and Thlopthlocco
Tribal Town.
The Alabama Department of Archives and History is the state’s
government-records repository, a special-collections library and research
facility, and home to the Museum of Alabama, the state history museum. It is
located in downtown Montgomery, directly across Washington Avenue from the
State Capitol.
The Museum of Alabama is open Monday through Saturday from 8:30 to 4:30. The
EBSCO Research Room is open Tuesday through Saturday from 8:30 to 4:30. To
learn more, visit www.archives.alabama.gov or call (334) 242-4364.
###
Frequently Asked
Questions
ADAH
Archaeological Collections and the Native American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA)
What
is NAGPRA?
The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) is a federal
law that was enacted in 1990. It provides a process for museums and federal
agencies to return Native American human remains and cultural items to lineal
descendants, federally recognized Native American tribes, and Native Hawaiian
Organizations in a process called repatriation. More information can be
found at the National Park Service Website: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nagpra/index.htm
Who
must comply with NAGPRA?
All federal agencies are subject to NAGPRA. All public and private
museums that have received federal funds, other than the Smithsonian
Institution, are also subject to NAGPRA.
What
items are subject to repatriation under NAGPRA?
An item is subject to repatriation if it can be reasonably identified as
one of the following types of materials:
- Human Remains:
The physical remains of the body of a person of Native American ancestry.
- Funerary Objects:
Objects that, as a part of the death rite or ceremony of a culture, are
reasonably believed to have been placed with individual human remains either at
the time of death or later.
- Sacred Objects:
Specific ceremonial objects which are needed by traditional Native American
religious leaders for the practice of traditional Native American religions by
their present-day adherents.
- Objects of Cultural Patrimony:
Objects having ongoing historical, traditional, or cultural importance central
to the Native American group or culture itself, rather than property owned by
an individual Native American.
What
are the scope and history of the ADAH’s archaeological collections, and which
items are subject to repatriation?
The ADAH’s archaeological collections consist of more than 326,000
objects from more than 150 archaeological sites. Nearly all the materials were
excavated in the first half of the twentieth century and donated to the ADAH by
members of the Alabama Anthropological Society (AAS), an organization of archaeology
enthusiasts that was active between 1909 and the 1940s. The goals of the AAS
included researching and documenting Native American sites throughout the state
and securing a collection of artifacts for exhibition and research at the ADAH.
The ADAH’s first and third directors, Thomas M. Owen and Peter Brannon, were
members of the AAS and facilitated the transfer of materials to the state
agency, where they were the subjects of scholarly research and exhibition for
generations.
The materials involved in consultation and repatriation in 2022 and 2023
represent the total amount of human remains and associated funerary objects
(items removed from the same burials as the human remains) in the ADAH’s
collections. These include 114 sets of human remains and approximately 4,000
funerary objects excavated from approximately 22 sites.
The remainder of the ADAH’s archaeological collections include
approximately 322,000 Native American items. Fifty-seven percent of these
materials are documented to be unassociated funerary objects (items removed
from burials, but for which no human remains are held) and subject to
repatriation in 2024 and beyond. Additional evaluation and consultation are
required to determine the status of the balance of the collection.
How
is tribal eligibility to claim the materials determined?
Determination of which tribal nations are eligible to claim the materials
was made through consultation between the ADAH and federally recognized tribes
in a process regulated by NAGPRA. When determining cultural affiliation,
participants consider criteria such as geographic location, distinctive styles
in material culture, and distinctive burial practices. The participants in
consultation reached a consensus determination of broad cultural affiliation
including multiple tribes. On behalf of the multiple tribes making a joint
claim, a single tribe will serve as lead claimant in response to a notice of
inventory completion to be published by the ADAH in the Federal Register.
How
will the Museum of Alabama’s exhibits be affected by repatriation?
In 2011 and 2014 the ADAH opened permanent exhibitions in its Museum of
Alabama that rely heavily on unassociated funerary objects (items removed from
burials, but for which no human remains are held) to interpret the development
of Native American society. On August 10, 2022, the ADAH announced the closing
of The First Alabamians, its exhibition on Native Americans from
prehistory to 1700. The First Alabamians contains the largest number of
Native American artifacts subject to repatriation under NAGPRA. Additional
funerary materials in Alabama Voices, the museum’s centerpiece
exhibition covering 1700 to the present, have been removed from display. All
exhibitions except The First Alabamians will remain open to general
visitors and to school field trips.
The ADAH plans to modify the exhibitions by introducing artifacts that
were not part of burials and by incorporating significant advances in
archaeological study of indigenous cultures over the past decade. Most notably,
the exhibits will newly introduce perspectives offered by numerous tribal
groups and highlight the continued vibrancy of indigenous cultures originating
from Alabama. Preliminary plans call for the revised exhibits to be open by
2026.
Our goal is to enter respectful partnerships with Native American tribes
that will improve our ability to share Alabama’s rich native heritage.
Alabama Department of Archives & History
624 Washington Ave.
Montgomery, AL 36130
www.archives.alabama.gov