NAGPRA stands for National American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. This act is a Federal law passed in 1990 that states that museums and federal agencies should return cultural items, including human remains, sacred objects, and object involved in funerals to the Native American people. These objects should go to lineal descendants, culturally affiliated Indian Tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations. This act also puts in place penalties for illegal trafficking and noncompliance. NAGPRA is necessary because it allows Native Americans to reclaim important cultural relics that may have been inadvertently or intentionally taken from either federal grounds or land belonging to a Native American
