The University of California is failing to return hundreds of thousands of Native American remains and artifacts to their tribes of origin, despite a decades-long legal mandate to do so, according to a recent state audit.
“We found them in rows of shelves and, at times, the skulls separated from the rest of the body,” Zavala said. “It was unbelievable how many ancestors they had been housing and for how many years they had them there.”
Data from the audit shows UC Berkeley had the largest collection by far, with nearly a half million items. UC Berkeley repatriated thousands of the items between 1990 and 2019, but is still in possession of approximately 350,000 remains and artifacts, according to the audit. Berkeley is not the only UC institution estimating another decade for repatriation. According to the audit, “The [UC] Office of the President has not prioritized returning remains.”
In statements, UC Riverside and UC San Diego said they’re committed to upholding NAGPRA. UC Riverside said it recently completed its largest repatriation to date of over 25,000 objects. NBC Bay Area is still waiting to hear from UC Santa Barbara, which state auditors said was still reviewing its repository of cultural items.“I don’t agree with repatriation and reburial of skeletal remains,” said San Jose State University Professor Elizabeth Weiss.
“This was a completely normal picture. Certain tribes posted photos of them working on skeletal remains or with skeletal remains,” Weiss said. “I think it would be insensitive if I would put a clown hat on the skull. I think that this photo showed my respect and my love for the study of the past.”
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