From Studio 49 in Albuquerque. Today we take a moment to look at the foundation of the Native American Grace protection and repatriation act. It's a law that has helped me to vacations for 27 years bring back the cultural property . To what's ahead for the call upon this law is. Your tribe has been able to welcome home those that were kept in museum collections we look forward to hearing your take today right after the news. This is national made of news I man Tony Adams Aulus food sovereignty movements are taking place across Indian country as needed people look to return to fresh healthy foods including traditional meals improving the health and wellness of the Oglala Lakota people is among efforts by the Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation in bringing long lasting change to the Pine Ridge Reservation and South Dakota and our state of change series Jim Kent visits the group's food sovereignty program to learn what's being done to help Lakota people start their own gardens and more. I'm standing in a small building at the funder deli property on the planet Ridge Reservation just beside me and actually all around me are chickens lots of chickens $560.00 chickens to be exact so the birds we have here are Rhode Island Reds and the reason why we chose that bird is because they can withstand our winters here in South Dakota and they're really good dual purpose birds meaning excellent AIG layers and really good neighbors after that Ernest Weston is program assistant for Thunder Valley's food sovereignty initiative its goal is to re identify recreate and rebuild the local food system by increasing access to hands on education we have this 2 acre demonstration farm that includes a poultry based regenerative ag practice and a green house and community garden which has all of them are classrooms each class of $25.00 students learns about traditional role cropping transplanting and every other aspect of gardening even what happens when Mother Nature calls How's it going where extremely well until the hail decided that no more but even a hail storm can be educational in learning about the realities of growing your own food and how important the weather is as a part of the equation. And from using the hay bale as your garden or a small plot of land to just making better choices about what you eat Weston says tribal members are taking what they've learned at their undervalue into their own homes and communities their strongest interest and turn to valleys food sovereignty initiative is being shown by teens who'd like to learn how to feed themselves and elders who like to reconnect with the old ways. There was obviously a disconnect along the way for Asian tribes says Western but the path ahead shows promise only a weakening of our culture cultures traditional self-sufficiency warningly generations agricultural practices centered on the benefits of the humble should can enrich Minola have a national native Ms I'm Jim Carey. The National Indian Gaming Commission has approved a Nebraska tribe's casino plan for a project near Omaha the Associated Press reports the Pongo tribes project has been in court for a decade and the casino remains uncertain tribal leaders say the gaming venue would help boost the economy and aid in moving the tribe forward plans for the project includes lots of tables and a hotel the Winnebago tribal council has voted to assume operations of the Indian Health Service Winnebago hospital in Nebraska the council voted last week to initiate the self governance process under federal law the tribe plans to request the Indian Health Service enter into negotiations so the tribe can operate the hospital Chairman Frank why in a press release stated the tribe has been working toward this day for more than 2 years he adds the tribe can improve quality and access of care at the hospital and stabilize the management of the health care system the move comes after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services terminated the hospital's contract in 2015 the tribe would like to take over operations of the hospital by July 2018 I mean Antonio Gonzales. Produced at the. Voice studios. Corp funding is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting from the public radio satellite service. Supported by the Association of. Promoting prevention improved nutrition physical activity. Age. We create and connect. Programs to help you save money. To you and your community what we do much more at. Native voice on the Native American radio network. This is Native America Calling I'm your host Tara Gatewood on this day in 1990 the Native American graves protection in repatriation act or Nat proa was enacted for the past 27 years tribes have called on this law to bring home the remains and cultural items that were housed in federal agencies and museum collections that receive federal funding there are more layers to this law and we'll hear more about it on today's program as we visit with our guess we also want to hear your nag press stories what's your tribe's history with this law is it the reason ancestors from your tribe returned home and if you work in the arena of Nagra what would you like to say about the strength and limits of this law we look forward to adding your voice to the discussion either call in 218-099-6284 extension 8 or sinister tweet at 1899 native and with us today from Rockville Maryland is Shannon Keller Laughlin and she is the executive director of the association on American Indian Affairs She's joining us from her office and Shannon is from the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma welcome to Native America Calling Shannon thank you Tara for having me here and Shannon it's a pleasure to have you here with us and 27 years that is quite some time also here with us on the line joining us today from Paris France is Melanie O'Brien she is with the u.s. Department of the interior National Park Service and is the manager of the National nag program it's our pleasure to also welcome her into the hour Melanie thank you for being with us thank you for having me. In a lady's Let's get right into it is 27 years old that's a lot of history and I'm sure a lot of stories that could be shared Melanie Let's go ahead and just start with understanding more the purpose of Nagpur what would you like to say about that. Well la abolition process through which is a ends and federal agencies must make information available to try about their collections including human remains and cultural items and provides a path for tried to make claims to request the return of those I thought I'd like to add. Also establishes a grant program to facilitate a consultation and repatriation of items under the law in so John is there anything you'd like to expand on what I always say about what Nagpur is is that it's a law what I found in working with Nagpur and working with tribes in attaining repatriation of ancestors and cultural items is that many museums and other institutions treat this law as if it's a reason to do more research to do more study and to create more burdens for tribes rather than just to fulfill the purpose of Nagpur which it says right in the regulations that is to repatriate in so a myriad you know different views on this and why it exists and I think you know the story really opens up when tribes who've called on the stream to return remains starts to happen and I'm also curious Melanie if you can tell us any idea how many repeat creations have occurred in the 27 years of Nagpur. Well we keep some statistics that shed light on the activity under now and press. Again related to the process that's established the last step in the process of the publication of a notice in the federal register because like a daily newspaper the federal government we know from those notices that just about 60000. Individual human remains have been returned to try under not. In so when we think of the numbers would you call that a success. I would call every repatriation success because it means there's been effective communication between the museum and the tribes and resulted in an agreement however we do know that under not there are. Over 120000 human remains that still remain unresolved. Available to the tribe through the next process in is there any reason for that other bunch already of those are classified under the law as culturally and identifiable meaning that a museum or federal agency has not been able to establish a cultural affiliation between the human remains and a present day Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization. A large amount of that not inventories The call them the list. And the federal agencies that are in this category of culturally identifiable because I mean there's not a way forward for them 2010 there's been a process under the regulations I would try to make claims for these culturally and identifiable human remains. Progress on that has been slow but I will say that this year we've seen a significant increase in the number of human remains that were identified as well try and identify all completing the process then being available to return to try and with that Melanie one who made the decision that these items were culturally and identifiable so in earth and the responsibility of. Identifying cultural escalation balls to be utterly. However that vision must be made in consultation with Dr and is there a way to keep track of this or making sure that those consultations are happening. While we require that consultation evidence be included in an inventory from any pm or at Our Lady to see that when the initial effects the method we require that there be good from a student out I'm healthy snack is a. Right thank you for that Melanie in understanding this is something that gets controversial and we've heard from folks before about Ned pro and the limits of it also liberations and we'll get to that too but if there's something you'd like to share give us a call 180-916-2848 is the number and Shannon when it comes to culturally and identifiable What is your thought. I have a few One is that currently the process that Melanie described about requesting that the Nagpur review committee. Provide disposition of culturally and identifiable human remains to a particular tribe. That process is not available currently because the secretaries think he within the department of affairs has suspended all activity for any federal advisory committee including the Nat probes you Committee so unfortunately the Nat purview Committee has missed I believe 2 meetings in which it would be providing this type of. Disposition of an identifiable human remains is that I believe that's correct and Melanie can. Chime in if I'm incorrect the other issue with culturally and identifiable human remains is is consultation and 120000 currently ancestors that are currently labeled as as an identifiable. Many of those were put on these what are termed see you why lists the acronym for culturally and identifiable they were put on those see you I list. In a very hurried fashion as knack pro. Time limits were coming up and many museums have reported that they were unable to have time to consult so any human remains they were unable to consult about they just immediately put on the c u y list without consultation and that's not in opposition to what the law requires museums or institutions to do so we know that there are many. In fact on the Nagpur website there is a list of of museums and federal institutions that have provided no evidence of consultation and currently even though I know the number has gone down since 2014 there is currently what we know so far. It looks like. Around 30000. Unidentified human remains in museums that have not been consulted about and in federal agencies there's 13000 and sesterces that have not yet had consultation with tribes So I think consultation is a huge problem and it also takes a lot of resources to for a museum or federal institution to consult with appropriate tribes. I can keep talking care if you want me to. Don't want to cut into all your time I know there's a lot to say about all of this let's pause real quick and Melanie is there anything you want to pick up on. That I agree with c.n.n. I think consultation is a critical if you under not. One that is on every country. Indeed of the country. Emily is it bright that there is a freeze on some of this work with the new administration. Yes that's correct then May of this year the Department of the interior has. Postponed all meetings of the Federal Advisory Committee while they conduct their rep you of over 200 committees that are currently run I mean easy here you're an actor of many is just one. And I do hope that we will be back up and running and holding our meeting I thank you for that and folks if you like to join us 18962848 is the number maybe you work in the arena of the net pro issues have repeat traditions been put on hold anything you want to share 18962848 is the number and Melanie at the beginning we gave a quick overview of Nagpur what it does what more beyond the brief description we gave Would you like to say that Nagpur does. I think 1st and foremost not preface silicates the return of these very important ancestors and items to tribes but in addition Nagpur establishes some wonderful relationship and growing connection between museums and Indian Nations. Ok And you know if we're going to take a look at 27 years I'm sure there have been a lot of moments histories and stories and we're hoping you'll share some of them with us today as our phone lines are open we're live we're at 196 to 848 and Shannon in the years of its existence what would you like to share about prayer over the past 27 years and that's a very big chunk but anything you want to share Go ahead sure I believe that tribes. And others who worked to develop this wonderful piece of human rights legislation that was heard specifically developed to. As part of the special government to government relationship between the u.s. Federal government and tribes I believe tribes and Indian people got involved in this legislation. Thinking that this process would be simple and that museums and federal agencies would be willing parties. Unfortunately it has been very difficult working with some institutions over the last 27 years and I have worked with Indian nations who had been seeking repatriation of their ancestors and sacred items and cultural patrimony even prior to the enactment of Nakh Prada who after 20 years of knack prayer had still not been able to obtain. Ancestors and cultural items. As an attorney getting involved and those. Those types of issues expect stream Li disheartening and you wonder what's really going on here and what I found as a as a legal practitioner looking at into those types of issues is that. There were absolutely unwilling museums and they did everything in their power to cause issues cause a delay and burden tribes from repatriation and these are institutions that. We look up to there the larger institutions who have very. Large and complex histories with American Indians in the particular region so I still say there is a lot more work that we need to do with nack pro and domestic repatriation and looking into the future beyond domestic repatriation the association on American Indian Affairs is also involved in international repatriation issues and you may have heard of Stop Act legislation that was recently proposed to protect or limit the exportation of cultural items from being exported to foreign countries as well so this this remains to be this remains an important and vital issue and Native American communities and as part of our cultural sovereignty in Shannon and we're definitely gonna get more into the Stock Act and even get a year on some of the some some of the hearing that took place some surrounding this after the break did want to pick up on something you shared about museums not you know as you're saying come forward in putting in blocks to this what are some of those roadblocks or details on what just happens. You know it's it's hard. To look at these issues sometimes with objectivity. And. So I will say something that that. Some may find humor with and others may find a stain but there are many old non Indians involved in museums and. Institutions that are in charge and curating are our ancestors and our items and because of the generation that they grew up in and where the science of archaeology has been in the past those old non Indian people are still in that place and so for whatever reason they still look at. Indian people as objects of science and objects to study and that it is their job to protect and curated our I don't so that they'll be protected for ever instead of allowing them to come back so that we can continue for ourselves as a culture and and peoples to continue our next generations with our cultural items and our sacred. Rights in Shindand you in an article when it was the 20 year anniversary brought forward a statement Don't take things that don't belong to you apologize and don't do it again you have that is a basic philosophy in understanding how to deal with some of these items and as well as remains in your thoughts further on that about all of this and how that theory kind of is the baseline Yes I really think nak pergi can be a simple. Process that. Tribes and museums and federal institutions can partake in to facilitate repatriation. But. The idea of giving back what's not yours that simple. Rule and values that we've learned in kindergarten. Taking that kind of of of moral and putting it into our repatriation practice I think goes a long way and I think the process that was set forward in the legislation allows us to do that I thank you for that Shannon in Melanie Of course if there's anything you want to pick up on that Shannon share. Please do go ahead Melanie sure certainly Yeah I think I absolutely agree with Shannon I think that that is about. You know what what is mine and what's yours and resulting right to owning those items about it in essence what the law does is it provides a path. Or Native American. Claim and the return of objects that are there and. I think it's a challenge. Bringing about. Different concepts. Protection and what protection then what preservation of the days then I think overall over the last 27 years there's been an increasing understanding among certainly. The community about their role in preserving and protecting culture that are not predominant here and I think there's been a real of. A change over the last 27 years it doesn't mean that it's complete and I would say that. The. The changes is ongoing. Thank you for that that's a great place to leave people thinking as we get ready for our 2nd half here and folks if you'd like to join us we'd love to have you are going to do is give us a ring 180-996-2848 is the number net profit has been around for 27 years and we want to know how has it affected your tribal nation is that the reason some of your ancestors came home if you want to tell that side of it give us a ring 180-996-2848 is the number and as we take a look at where the law stands now maybe you want to look ahead more things you see that this law could be used for maybe a strengthening of it you can also give us a call 180-916-2848 is the number we look forward to winning your voice into the conversation today and you can also make comments directly on our Web site you can also send us a tweet at 18099 native and we look forward to what you want to say about Nagra 27 years of it again full names are open we'll keep them open as we tell you a little bit about what is coming up tomorrow on our electronic talking circle. Officials say wild horses on some tribal lands are out of control they compete with livestock and wildlife for resources it's costly to manage the populations and slaughtering them is a controversial option tribes have limited funds available to deal wi