Report 2021-047 Recommendation 6 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 #6 To: University of California

To ensure that its campuses comply with CalNAGPRA and appropriately consult with California tribes, the Office of the President should immediately establish a uniform process that campuses must follow when consulting with tribes about the campuses' inventories.

1-Year Agency Response

Guidance on the tribal consultation process has been finalized and shared with campus Repatriation Coordinators. This includes a step-by-step checklist to promote greater consistency across campuses.

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

6-Month Agency Response

UCOP has created a guidance document that provides procedures for campuses to implement a consistent approach to tribal consultation. The draft is under review by the Systemwide NAGPRA Implementation and Oversight Committee and is expected to be finalized by June 2023.

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

60-Day Agency Response

Section V.B of the existing UC Policy on Native American Cultural Affiliation and Repatriation contains extensive implementation guidance on how campuses are to conduct consultation with Native American tribes. Additionally, in order to address this recommendation, UCOP will consolidate various materials to develop a new uniform process for tribal consultations as required by CalNAGPRA. UCOP is in the early drafting phase of this project.

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

All Recommendations in 2021-047

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.