Native Americans Rally At UCB over. Ancestral Remains

Immediate Release: September 20, 2007

Contact: Reno Franklin 707-591-0580 Ext 105; Lalo Franco 559-925-2831;
Radley Davis 530-917-6064; James Hayward 530-410-2875; Morning Star
Gali 510-827-6719; Corbin Collins 510-652-1567; Mark LeBeau
916-801-4422

Native Americans & Social Justice Allies to Rally at UC Berkeley to
Protect Native Ancestral Remains & Sacred Objects

Where: Sproul Plaza at UCB

When: October 5, 2007 at High Noon


Berkeley, CA―All Native American people and social justice allies are
urged to attend and bring signs to a vocal and peaceful demonstration
designed to protect Native ancestral remains and sacred objects
currently housed at the University of California, Berkeley (UCB). UCB
is attempting to terminate the critically important Tribal
consultation and Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation
Act (NAGPRA) program at the university. This tribally-supported NAGPRA
program was developed in accordance with federal and state laws and is
a semi-autonomous unit within the Hearst Museum. NAGPRA is a federal
law that mandates federally funded museums to conduct an inventory of
and identify Native human remains and cultural items in their
collections. In addition the museum is charged to consult with
culturally affiliated Indian tribes, Alaska Natives, and Native
Hawaiians regarding repatriation. The NAGPRA program at UCB is
responsible for insuring the museum complies with the Act and
repatriate items when appropriate.

The Native NAGPRA Coalition has been calling for a meeting with UCB
Chancellor Birgeneau for months to resolve the problem. Staff of
Governor Schwarzenegger's Office have also been attempting to assist
in scheduling the meeting. Yet, the highest ranking UCB official
refuses to meet.

"Although the long-standing program has completed a number of
NAGPRA-required tasks, there is still a great deal to be
accomplished," said Reno Franklin, Member of the NAGPRA Coalition and
Kashia Pomo Tribe. "The decision to cut the program was based on a
biased report written by two archeologists who represent research
interests that often conflict with tribal claims on the museum's
collection of ancestral remains," he added.

"Prior to the decision to cut the tribally-supported NAGPRA program at
UCB proper and timely notice was not afforded to the tribes," said
Radley Davis, Member of the Coalition and Pit River Nation. "This act
of tribal exclusion is intolerable and demonstrates the overall
museum's and Vice Chancellor's significant lack of commitment to and
respect for the living tribal people of the Americas and their
deceased," he added.

"The progressive NAGPRA program supported by the tribes is being
replaced with a substandard service more to the liking of the
archaeologists whom wrote the report," said James Hayward, Member of
the Coalition and Redding Rancheria. "If the substandard service is
allowed to be implemented, UCB and tribes will lose the only qualified
program for fair and objective consultation and documented research on
repatriation issues," he added.

"The UCB is a public institution that is obliged to adhere to the
highest standards of non-discrimination," said Lalo Franco,
Representative of the Coalition and Santa Rosa Rancheria Tachi Yokut
Tribe. "When a decision has an extremely negative impact on a specific
community; when that community is deliberately excluded from the
decision process; and when that same process heavily favors opposing
stakeholders, internal management perogatives must give way to
concerns of public justice," he added.

"The reorganization must be stopped and the review process must be
reopened to include Natives," said Morning Star Gali, Member of the
Coalition and Pit River Nation. She continued, "UCB must: 1)
acknowledge that while the Hearst Museum may temporarily control
ancestral remains and sacred objects, control does not constitute
ownership; 2) recognize the importance of the traditional and
spiritual significance of ancestral remains and sacred objects to
tribes; 3) strike a just balance between the interests of Natives and
scientists; 4) acknowledge that the goals of NAGPRA and the goals of
the Museum are distinct and should not be confused; and 5) understand
that NAGPRA is not just one more Museum "activity" that can be blurred
with other priorities in ways that trivialize its profound importance
to Natives."

NAGPRA became Law on 11/16/90. It applies to any institution or State
or Local government agency that receives Federal funds and has
possession of Native American cultural items, including human remains.

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