Opening Archaeology

In 1989-90, Congress enacted two laws, the National Museum of the American Indian Act and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, that required museums and other repositories of Native American human remains and cultural items to consult with, share information about, and return some items to federally recognized Indian tribes and Native Alaskan and Hawaiian communities. What effects have these laws had on anthropological practice, theory, and education in the United States? In 2004-2005, the School for Advanced Research and the Society for Applied Anthropology gathered together a group of anthropological archaeologists to address this question. This volume presents their conclusions and urges a continuing and increasing cooperation between anthropologists and indigenous peoples.