The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 (NAGPRA) is federal legislation that applies to institutions receiving federal funding. It creates a process for the repatriation and disposition of Native American Ancestral Human Remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony, as defined by the law, to lineal descendants, Native American Tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations. In its report, the U.S. Congress noted that all Human Remains “must at all times be treated with dignity and respect.”
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is committed to fulfilling its obligations under NAGPRA through consultations with Tribal communities and through the return of human remains and cultural objects to the appropriate individuals, Tribes, and organizations who have requested these remains and objects through NAGPRA.
For more information about NAGPRA, please visit the NAGPRA web site maintained by the National Park Service.
NAGPRA claims should be directed to the university’s NAGPRA committee through the Director of Repatriation:
Ellen M. Lofaro, Ph.D.
Director of Repatriation and Curator of Archaeology, Department of Anthropology
The University of Tennessee
201 Middlebrook Building
Knoxville, TN 37996-1525
(865) 974-3370
Please note that UT also houses Native American Ancestral Human Remains and cultural items that are under the legal control of federal or state agencies, for the purposes of NAGPRA, including the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Tennessee Division of Archaeology. If an inquiry relates to one of these agencies, UT will provide the appropriate contact information.
Ellen M. Lofaro
As the Director of Repatriation for the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Dr. Lofaro manages and coordinates national and international repatriation efforts. With a focus on the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), she actively consults, collaborates and partners with Native American Tribes to repatriate all Native American ancestral remains and cultural items. Dr. Lofaro is also involved in the ongoing development of university policies and procedures regarding repatriation, research, and collections care, and is working to integrate collaborative community research and traditional care requests into university standards.
- Brooke Bauer
- Sandy Cridlin
- Zac Garrett
- Kandace Hollenbach
- Ellen Lofaro
- Donna McCarthy
- Brian Ranger
- Lamar Bryant
- Jared Garceau (non-voting liaison to Office of the General Counsel)
UTK policy #RE00001-K prohibits the creation, publication, or reproduction of images of NAGPRA-eligible Ancestral Human Remains and cultural objects without the written permission of the appropriate Native American Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. “Images” includes photographs, scans, 3D printing, CT and PET scans, MRIs, drawings, and any other depictions of Ancestral Human Remains and cultural objects.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Cherokee Nation, and United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma have requested the disposition of Ancestral Human Remains and cultural items from Polk County, Tennessee.
The Crow Tribe of Montana has requested the repatriation of Ancestral Human Remains and cultural items from Grand Valley, Treasure, and Yellowstone counties in Montana as well as near Buffalo, Wyoming.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Cherokee Nation, and United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma have requested the disposition of Ancestral Human Remains and cultural items from Anderson, Blount, Bradley, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Hamblin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Knox, Loudon, Marion, McMinn, Meigs, Monroe, Rhea, Roane, and Sullivan counties, Tennessee.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Cherokee Nation, and United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma have requested the repatriation of Ancestral Human Remains and cultural items from Monroe County, Tennessee.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Cherokee Nation, and United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma have requested the disposition of Ancestral Human Remains and cultural items from Bartow County, Georgia; Davidson County, Tennessee; and Smyth County, Virginia.
The Chickasaw Nation has requested the disposition of Ancestral Human Remains and cultural items from Humphreys, Shelby, and Stewart counties, Tennessee.
The Chickasaw Nation, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Cherokee Nation, and United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma have requested the repatriation of Ancestral Human Remains and cultural items from Benton, Henry, Humphreys, Stewart, and Williamson counties, Tennessee.
The Osage Nation has requested the repatriation of Ancestral Human Remains and cultural items from Benton, Buchanan, Phelps and Platte counties, Missouri.
The Chickasaw Nation, Cherokee Nation, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma requested the disposition of Ancestral Human Remains and cultural items from Bedford, Lincoln, Marshall, Stewart, and Williamson counties in Tennessee. A Notice of Inventory Completion was published in the Federal Register on December 21, 2018. Legal control of Ancestral Human Remains, and funerary objects transferred to The Chickasaw Nation, Cherokee Nation, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma on January 23, 2019. A correction Notice of Inventory Completion was published in the Federal Register on July 20, 2020. Legal control of additional funerary objects transferred to The Chickasaw Nation, Cherokee Nation, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma on August 20, 2020.
The Three Affiliated Tribes, also known as the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, requested the repatriation of Ancestral Human Remains and cultural items from Morton County, North Dakota as well as Campbell, Charles Mix, Corson, Lyman, and Walworth counties in South Dakota. These Ancestral Human Remains and cultural items were under the joint control of UT and the US Army Corps of Engineers. A Notice of Inventory Completion and a Notice of Intent to Repatriate were published in the Federal Register on November 9, 2019. Legal control of Ancestral Human Remains, and funerary objects transferred to the Three Affiliated Tribes on December 10, 2019. An additional Notice of Inventory Completion was published in the Federal Register on January 28, 2020, and legal control of additional Ancestral Human Remains and funerary objects transferred to the Three Affiliated Tribes on February 28, 2020. A correction Notice of Inventory Completion was published in the Federal Register on June 25, 2020. Legal control of additional Ancestral Human Remains transferred to the Three Affiliated Tribes on July 28, 2020.
The Three Affiliated Tribes requested the repatriation of Ancestral Human Remains and cultural items from Burleigh and Stutsman counties, North Dakota, and Buffalo, Davison, Gregory, Hanson, Hughes, Sully, and Walworth counties in South Dakota. A Notice of Inventory Completion was published in the Federal Register on September 20, 2022. Legal control of Ancestral Human Remains and funerary objects transferred to the Three Affiliated Tribes on October 20, 2022.
The Three Affiliated Tribes requested the repatriation of Ancestral Human Remains and cultural items from Sioux County, North Dakota, and Buffalo, Campbell, Corson, Dewey, Gregory, Hughes, Lyman, Potter, Sully, Stanley, and Walworth counties, South Dakota. These Ancestral Human Remains and cultural items were under the joint control of UT and the US Army Corps of Engineers. A Notice of Inventory Completion was published in the Federal Register on February 1, 2023. No competing requests were received, and legal control of Ancestral Human Remains and funerary objects transferred to the Three Affiliated Tribes on March 3, 2023.
The Chickasaw Nation requested the repatriation of Ancestral Human Remains and cultural items from Decatur and Henry counties, Tennessee. These Ancestral Human Remains and cultural items were under the joint control of UT and TVA. A Notice of Inventory Completion was published in the Federal Register on March 27, 2020. Legal control of Ancestral Human Remains, and funerary objects transferred to The Chickasaw Nation on April 28, 2020.
Kaw Nation, Oklahoma requested the repatriation of Ancestral Human Remains from Doniphan County, Kansas. A Notice of Inventory Completion was published in the Federal Register on September 20, 2022. Legal control of Ancestral Human Remains transferred to the Kaw Nation, Oklahoma on October 20, 2022.
Kaw Nation, Oklahoma requested the repatriation of Ancestral Human Remains and cultural items from Leavenworth County, Kansas. A Notice of Inventory Completion was published in the Federal Register on November 10, 2022. Legal control of Ancestral Human Remains, and funerary objects transferred to the Kaw Nation, Oklahoma on December 12, 2022.
A Notice of Inventory Completion was published in the Federal Register on February 1, 2023. The Ancestral Human Remains included in this notice were under the joint control of UT and the US Army Corps of Engineers. No competing claims were received, and legal control of Ancestral Human Remains transferred to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North and South Dakota, on March 3, 2023.
A Notice of Inventory Completion was published in the Federal Register on February 1, 2023. The Ancestral Human Remains included in this notice are under the joint control of UT and the US Army Corps of Engineers. No competing claims were received, and legal control of Ancestral Human Remains and funerary objects transferred to the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe of the Crow Creek Reservation, South Dakota, on March 3, 3023.
The Chickasaw Nation requested the disposition of ancestral human remains and cultural items from Humphreys County, Tennessee. A Notice of Inventory Completion was published in the Federal Register on March 21, 2023. Legal control of Ancestral Human Remains transferred to The Chickasaw Nation on April 20, 2023.