WHEREAS, NAGPRA broadly defines museums as federal agencies and institutions that receive federal funding, which includes museums, state and local governments, and colleges and orders them to return Native American cultural items to their respective peoples and California community colleges received 18% federal and 33% state funding;
WHEREAS, Funerary remains and items of cultural patrimony may be inadvertently discovered during construction, and failure to issue appropriate notices of inadvertent discoveries to local federally recognized tribes results in civil penalties and NAGPRA regulations encourage comprehensive agreements to be established between Native tribes and federally-funded agencies to address land management activities that could result in the intentional excavation or inadvertent discovery of NAGPRA items; and WHEREAS, The Department of the Interior investigates civil penalty allegations and assesses fines on museums that fail to comply with NAGPRA provisions and the National Parks Service offers federally and state-funded institutions two grants for consultation, documentation, and repatriation via application; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges work with the Board of Governors to advocate for a state-wide mandate for each California community college district to establish a Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act Committee over the next five years;
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges encourage all California community college districts to hire a tribal/community liaison position on the district Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act Committee; and
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges advocate for all California community college districts to contract a Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act Specialist.
With the addition of a Tribal Liaison on our staff, the SSCCC is deepening its commitment to supporting Native American and Indigenous students across California Community Colleges. While this resolution was not formally advanced during the current cycle due to limited capacity, we fully support its goals and recognize the importance of protecting Native cultural heritage and honoring tribal sovereignty.
We encourage all California community college districts to hire a Tribal or community liaison to serve on their Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Committees, and we advocate for the contracting of qualified NAGPRA Specialists to ensure that campuses uphold their responsibilities under federal law. The SSCCC looks forward to working alongside Native communities, students, and institutional partners to advance advocacy focused on cultural preservation, repatriation, and justice.