ASU program helps build the future of repatriation work

The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) governs the return of Native American ancestors and cultural items to federally recognized tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations.

At Arizona State University, the Center for Archaeology and Society, part of the School of Human Evolution and Social Change, is responsible for the university’s NAGPRA program, a fundamental responsibility that drives much of the work of the center. To help train the next generation of NAGPRA professionals, a learning track was created to provide undergraduate students a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience with the repatriation process.

Ella Zeiders was an undergraduate at ASU when she discovered the NAGPRA learning track through the school’s Research Apprenticeship Program. Wanting to learn more about collections care, she thought the learning track offered a unique opportunity to explore her interests and learn about the legal mechanisms that make repatriation possible while actively contributing to ASU’s repatriation efforts.

Fast-forward to now, after completing all four semesters of the learning track, Zeiders works as a full-time NAGPRA project lead at the Center for Archaeology and Society, serving as a mentor to students within the learning track program.

She said the learning track gave her a deeper, more ethical understanding of anthropology and collections care that centers on relationships and the preservation of cultural heritage through active collaboration with descendent communities.

“The learning track introduced me to the importance of approaching this work with respect and dignity, and these lessons actively guide my work as a NAGPRA project lead at (the center),” said Zeiders, one of just seven students to complete the entire four-semester program. More than 80 students have participated in at least one semester of the learning track.

Allisen Dahlstedt, head of repatriation at the Center for Archaeology and Society, said one of the program's biggest accomplishments has been creating a pathway for students to enter the field of repatriation work.

“Through the learning track, students are able to gain hands-on experience while still undergraduates, working on real projects and learning directly from practitioners and tribal representatives,” said Dahlstedt. “It's especially rewarding to see students develop not only technical skills related to NAGPRA compliance, but also a deeper understanding of the ethical responsibilities and collaborative relationships that are central to this work.”

Other program leaders agree, citing student feedback that demonstrates how profoundly the learning track can change students’ perceptions of the field.

“We had a student admit that they thought it would be an easy A, but had a full blown revelation in how they view this work,” said Melanie Deer, lead collections manager and assistant NAGPRA coordinator. “We are making an impact on the shifts in the field and helping students to approach the field in a new light.”

Even for students who don’t pursue careers in repatriation work, the experience and knowledge gained through the learning track prepares students for jobs in any field.

“The skills students learn in collaboration, critical thinking and respect will translate to any career path they choose, equipping them to act intentionally and ethically in their work,” said Zeiders. 

In order to provide guidance for other institutions looking to establish similar programs, Christopher Caseldine, assistant research professor and curator of collections at the center, was one of the program's team members who wrote about the experience establishing the learning track in a recent article published in Advances in Archaeological Practice.

The article, titled "Guiding the Next Generation of NAGPRA Practitioners: Formalizing Undergraduate NAGPRA Education," provides insight into the learning track by outlining the structure and goals of each semester in the four-semester program, highlighting lessons learned while implementing the learning track at ASU, and providing suggestions for starting a NAGPRA learning track at other institutions. 

“We hope others will take our framework and modify it to their situation,” said Caseldine. “Despite a push to publish all federally required NAGPRA notices by 2029, universities, museums and federal agencies will continue to have the obligation to ensure all ancestors and relevant cultural items are returned to descendent communities. That will take years, if not decades, to do it right.”

The team said the learning track helps address a longstanding gap in the field by providing students with structured, hands-on training in repatriation work before they begin their careers. In the past, many practitioners learned these skills on the job because formal educational opportunities were limited, often restricted to introductory webinars on NAGPRA law and regulations or short, intensive workshops that could be costly and difficult to access.

Katie Tappan, NAGPRA project lead at the Center for Archaeology and Society and co-instructor of the learning track's second semester, said one of the program's strengths is its emphasis on the realities of repatriation work. Because NAGPRA implementation is not standardized across institutions, students learn how to navigate the complexities of working with legacy collections while also gaining insight into the relationship-building that is central to successful collaboration with tribal partners.

“By having the students actively doing some of the work with us, they have the opportunity to see the types of legacy procedure or information issues we face during a project and how we problem-solve or adapt our processes to address them,” said Tappan. “This level of understanding and critical reasoning cannot be taught in any classroom setting, as situations cannot be realistically and genuinely replicated, and are only learned through an internship or on the job. We aim to prepare our students as much as possible to become confident and successful NAGPRA practitioners upon graduation from ASU.”

Despite the success of the program, implementing the learning track hasn’t come without its hurdles. Dahlstedt explained how balancing the educational goals of the program with the realities of active repatriation work can be challenging. And due to the lack of existing models for undergraduate NAGPRA education, much of the program had to be built from the ground up.

“NAGPRA projects involve sensitive materials, complex research and meaningful consultation with tribal nations, so it's important that students are supported and mentored appropriately throughout the process,” said Dahlstedt. “Building a program that provides authentic experiences while maintaining high professional and ethical standards has required a great deal of planning, supervision, and flexibility.”

However, through these challenges, the team has learned that experiential learning has been incredibly valuable for preparing future NAGPRA practitioners. And it has proven that when intentionally designed, these types of programs can promote student learning and institutional repatriation efforts at the same time.

The team hopes that the learning track continues to grow and serve as a model for other institutions who are interested in developing similar programs. As demand for trained NAGPRA professionals grows, formal educational opportunities can help prepare future generations to meet that need.

“I hope eventually we aren’t the only one. Is it cool to be the first and leader? Most definitely, but we are viewing what we do as an impact beyond just ASU, beyond just our immediate students,” said Deer. “We are empowering them to go out and have an impact on the world. There have been talks of this being needed by the NAGPRA community for so long, and we’ve now done it. There should be more people doing this.”