Jayne-Leigh Thomas

This project will serve as a pilot for the development of a training program focused on best practices related to Ancestral human remains under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). Training in and around the subject of NAGPRA is notoriously lacking in most academic anthropology programs and even tribal communities, highlighting the need for long-term availability of such training. The one-week, intensive program will also focus on areas of ethical concern surrounding research, teaching, curation, and other aspects of working with tribal nations and their Ancestors. Training areas will include, but are not limited to: strategies for NAGPRA documentation in the laboratory/curation space, understanding cultural affiliation to contemporary tribal communities, cultural sensitivity protocols, working with tribal governments, the effects of anthropological collecting and intergenerational trauma, and collaborative research practices. Training sessions will involve learning from Native and non-Native NAGPRA practitioners, tribal scholars and Elders, research partners, and others as appropriate. The major goal of the project is to develop accessible, consistently-available training for anthropologists and NAGPRA practitioners.