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REPATRIATION OF AHAYU:DA: 20 Years Later
Author(s) -
Ferguson T. J.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
museum anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.197
H-Index - 15
eISSN - 1548-1379
pISSN - 0892-8339
DOI - 10.1111/j.1548-1379.2010.01096.x
Subject(s) - repatriation , context (archaeology) , history , ethnology , law , anthropology , political science , sociology , archaeology
In April 1990, just six months before the passage of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), I conducted an interview with the Zuni Tribal Council about their experiences repatriating the Ahayu:da Zuni War Gods. When NAGPRA was placed into law, the War Gods became an exemplar of cultural patrimony. In this brief invited commentary, I reflect on the interview, the significance of the War Gods in NAGPRA, and the shifts in repatriation practices in the context of NAGPRA's 20th anniversary. I conclude by suggesting that tribes and museums have both benefitted from repatriation and expressing a hope that the new ethic of cooperation and collaboration between Indians and museum scholars that has emerged in NAGPRA's wake continues long into the future.