Report 2021-047 Recommendation 5 Responses

Report 2021-047: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act: Despite Some Recent Improvements, the University of California Has Not Yet Taken Adequate Action to Ensure Its Timely Return of Native American Remains and Cultural Items (Release Date: November 2022)

Recommendation #5 To: University of California

To ensure that campuses appropriately respond to any remains or cultural items they find in the future, the Office of the President should issue guidance by February 2023 about how campuses should proactively work with partner institutions to facilitate repatriation of those items.

1-Year Agency Response

Guidance on responding to newly identified remains or cultural items, and guidance on proactively working with partner institutions, have been finalized and shared with campus Repatriation Coordinators.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Fully Implemented

6-Month Agency Response

UCOP has created two pieces of guidance, one for campuses responding to newly identified remains or cultural items and a second on how campuses can proactively work with partner institutions that control collections in UC's custody to facilitate repatriation. The drafts will be reviewed by the Systemwide NAGPRA Implementation and Oversight Committee. We expect to finalize by June 2023.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

60-Day Agency Response

UCOP met with campus Repatriation Coordinators who have the most recent and successful experience working with partner institutions and who have gained from the advice of their campus committees to develop guidance on how all campuses should proactively work with partner institutions to facilitate repatriation. The guidance is in progress.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2021-047

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.