Abigail Dunagan, Campus Carrier arts and living editor

While history museums provide the public with an opportunity to learn, museums must also navigate the laws and regulations regarding handling of artifacts. NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act) is a law that has been in effect since the 1990s. This law requires that all federal funded museums that display Native American relics, artifacts and human remains must communicate with the respective tribes. These museums must consult with the lineal descendants to facilitate repatriation or transfer of these items to the appropriate parties. This law was enacted with the goal of respecting and protecting the history of Native American tribes, by requiring relics that were excavated and stolen to be returned to their respective communities. On Dec. 6, 2023, the Department of Interior announced a final revision to this law, further pushing any museums that still contain artifacts to follow through with the repatriation process. 

While NAGPRA is a law that affects national museums such as the Smithsonian, local museums have also had to navigate these changes. The Chieftains Museum, also known as the Major Ridge Home, is located in Rome, GA. This museum is in the historic house of Major Ridge, a Cherokee leader who lived during the 19^th century. The Chieftain’s Museum has existed since 1969, and it primarily serves to educate visitors about Cherokee culture and history. 

Olivia Cawood has served as the executive director of the Chieftains Museum since October of 2022. According to Cawood, the museum focuses on Cherokee history as it pertains to the Floyd County area, as well as the Cherokee family that formerly owned the property the museum is located on. The museum has always worked in compliance with NAGRPA, but the new regulations focus on updating the language of the law and requiring that museums consult with Native tribes about their exhibits. 

“For Chieftains, we are working really hard to work closely with the Cherokee Nation on what we do with our exhibit spaces, and how we conduct our programs,” Cawood said. “We want them to be involved in that, as well as the descendants of the family that lived there, the Ridge family. There are still descendants that get into contact with us, and we love to have their input.” 

Senior Dylan Davis is currently working at the Chieftains Museum through a student internship. According to Davis, the Chieftains is a smaller museum with less funding than larger museums. It can be challenging for the museum to have the resources to locate the origin of each object because of the museum’s small size. While Chieftains has always complied with NAGPRA, Davis said that the new revision to the law has added some new challenges to the museum. 

“I think that there is a little bit more pressure to stay on top of things,” Davis said. “You might have an artifact that is just sitting in the back room, waiting until you do some exhibit for it. Now we know that we need to get that together, so that we aren’t violating any rule.” 

While NAGPRA plays a vital role in the collections at the Chieftains Museum, not every museum has exhibits that are affected by the new changes. The Oak Hill and Martha Berry Museum is also located in Rome, Ga. The Oak Hill Museum features the historic home of Martha Berry, and it seeks to tell the story of the founding of the Berry schools. While Oak Hill contains a lot of local artifacts, the museum does not currently have any exhibits on Native American history. 

The recent revision of NAGPRA has created some new challenges for these museums, but the law serves an important role in the preservation of Native American history. Cawood said that while Chieftains has had to ensure that they are staying in compliance with the law, they have worked hard to build relationships with members of the tribes so that they can best tell their story. 

“It really highlights the importance of working with all of the Native tribes across the U.S.,” Cawood said. “That is something that has not been done well in the past by the museum community. I think it is really important that you work with the people whose stories you are telling.”

NAGPRA serves to protect Native American history, but it also helps ensure that those who were a part of this history have a voice that is heard. It is easy to visit a museum to look at the artifacts, but the process of ensuring that these exhibits contain historically accurate information has many steps. 

“I think that there is an idea that Native tribes are a thing of the past, or that they don’t exist anymore,” Davis said. “It is important to give those artifacts to those who are still alive now.”