Heinrich Bill Safeguarding Tribal Items Passes Senate
U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. Thursday, by unanimous consent on the Senate Floor, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) passed bipartisan legislation to prohibit the exporting of sacred Native American items and increase penalties for stealing and illegally trafficking Tribal cultural patrimony.
The bicameral, bipartisan Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony (STOP) Act, introduced and championed by Senators Heinrich and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), has been endorsed by organizations and Tribes across Indian Country.
The legislation will help prevent instances like the auction of a shield, stolen from the Pueblo of Acoma. Sen. Heinrich played a role in the effort to bring the shield home by working with Governors Kurt Riley and Brian Vallo to call for its return.