Date of Award

Fall 11-21-2025

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

M.A. in Anthropology

Organizational Unit

College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences, Anthropology

First Advisor

Kelly Fayard

Second Advisor

Christina Kreps

Third Advisor

Elizabeth Sperber

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved.

Keywords

African American, Ethics, Indigenous American, Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), Repatriation, Museums

Abstract

Museums and similar federally funded educational institutions have been collecting human remains since the Enlightenment era in the 1800s. Since then, these institutions have developed various collections practices that have encouraged the collection of human remains. Often unethical in nature, these collections have harmed historically marginalized communities, such as Indigenous and African American communities. While the ethics of collecting have been under scrutiny for decades, it was not until 1990 under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) that mainstream attention was drawn to the ethics of collections practices.

This thesis explores these collections practices and the repatriation precedents established in the United States under NAGPRA. Through academic research, observations of the nuances between communities at two Smithsonian museums, and interviews with repatriation professionals, this thesis explores avenues for future repatriation legislation. Focusing on the disproportionate impacts on Indigenous American and African American communities, this thesis puts forth theoretical applications to existing legislation.

Copyright Date

11-2025

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

Ashley Joplin

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Format

application/pdf

Language

English (eng)

Extent

132 pgs

File Size

1.1 MB

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