Grave Injustice: The American Indian Repatriation Movement and NAGPRA

by Kathleen S. Fine-Dare

Grave Injustice is the powerful story of the ongoing struggle of Native Americans to repatriate the objects and remains of their ancestors that were appropriated, collected, manipulated, sold, and displayed by Europeans and Americans. Anthropologist Kathleen S. Fine-Dare focuses on the history and culture of both the impetus to collect and the movement to repatriate Native American remains. Using a straightforward historical framework and illuminating case studies, Fine-Dare first examines the changing cultural reasons for the appropriation of Native American remains. She then traces the succession of incidents, laws, and changing public and Native attitudes that have shaped the repatriation movement since the late nineteenth century. Her discussion and examples make clear that the issue is a complex one, that few clear-cut heroes or villains make up the history of the repatriation movement, and that little consensus about policy or solutions exists within or beyond academic and Native communities. The concluding chapters of this history take up the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), which Fine-Dare considers as a legal and cultural document. This highly controversial federal law was the result of lobbying by American Indian and Native Hawaiian peoples to obtain federal support for the right to bring back to their communities the human remains and associated objects that are housed in federally funded institutions all over the United States. Grave Injustice is a balanced introduction to a longstanding and complicated problem that continues to mobilize and threatens to divide Native Americans and the scholars who work with and write about them.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Anthropology, Reference, Native American, Research, Indigenous

250 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2002

Reviews

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for those learning about NAGPRA and this hot issue.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will start by saying I think this semi-in-depth view of NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act) gives a good analysis of the actual impact on museums, tribes, scientists, and consultants and shows the reader the grueling process of attempting to do right by it. The author provides history, graciously balances different perspectives, and addresses the racism inherent in so much of the government’s approach. She also did a good job showing the reader what a shit show it can be to try untangling and applying these laws.

However, the process of reading this was like trying to eat a giant wheat cracker with no water. It was very difficult to wade through and seemed unending. I don’t think the intent was for a regular layperson to pick this up, but more like a college textbook for anthropology students. This is in no way a complaint to the author. More just a note to my past self to, “Give this one a miss”.

[Teddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mostly skimmed this, as I was using it for a research paper, but it was excellently informative. Would strongly recommend to anyone interested in learning more about NAGPRA or many of the injustices that Indigenous peoples have suffered in the US.

[Lauren Cooke]

I appreciated the deconstruction of us vs them paradigm along with the calling out of the hypocrisy of the academics.

[Abby Rubin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This academic text delves into the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and the movement to repatriate human remains and cultural objects within the United States. Anthropologist Fine-Dare discusses how and why institutions and individuals found themselves in possession of Native remains and funereal and religious objects. The text is short but dense and so important to supporting sovereignty for Native nations.

[Brendy Bou · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to finish his book, but with my school year starting I will abandon this for a while. Well writte, just other reads are calling me at this time.