FEDERAL AGENCY:

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

AUTHORIZATION:

Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 (NAGPRA); Section 10, Public Law 101-601, 25 U.S.C. 3008.

OBJECTIVES:

To provide grants to museums to assist in the documentation of Native American human remains and cultural items; to provide grants to Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages and corporations, and Native Hawaiian organizations to assist in identifying human remains and cultural items, including sacred objects, with which they are culturally affiliated; and to provide grants to museums, Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages and corporations, and Native Hawaiian organizations to assist in the repatriation of human remains and cultural items with which they are culturally affiliated.

TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:

Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition

USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:

Project grants may support the following: Documentation grants for museums may be used to: a) bring lineal descendants, traditional religious leaders, and Indian tribe, Alaska Native village and corporation, and Native Hawaiian organization officials to inspect collections and consult regarding proper care, treatment, testing, and disposition of Native American cultural items; b) bring traditional religious leaders and representatives of Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages and corporations, and Native Hawaiian organizations to inspect collections and consult regarding culturally unidentifiable Native American human remains; c) train staff in techniques for documenting the cultural affiliation of Native American cultural items; d) train staff in techniques for consulting with Indian tribe, Alaska Native village and corporation, and Native Hawaiian organization representatives and traditional religious leaders; e) fund travel by staff members to consult with lineal descendants, traditional religious leaders, and Indian tribe, Alaska Native village and corporation, and Native Hawaiian organization officials regarding the proper care, treatment, and disposition of Native American cultural items; and f) continue documentation of unassociated funerary objects of cultural patrimony in consultation with lineal descendants, traditional religious leaders and Indian tribe, Alaska Native village and corporation, and Native Hawaiian organization officials. Documentation grants for Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages and corporations, and Native Hawaiian organizations may be used to: a) assess and evaluate summaries, inventories, and other documentation provided by museums and Federal agencies; b) train staff in techniques for documenting the cultural affiliation of Native American human remains and cultural items; c) train staff in techniques for consulting with museum and Federal agency officials; d) communicate with museum and Federal agency officials regarding culturally affiliated human remains and cultural items; e) fund travel to inspect collections and consult with museum and Federal agency officials regarding proper care, treatment, testing, and disposition of Native American human remains and cultural items; and f) document the cultural affiliation of Native American human remains and cultural items currently in the possession of museums and Federal agencies or which might be excavated or discovered on Federal lands. Repatriation grants for museums, Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages and corporations, and Native Hawaiian organizations may be used for: a) travel by Indian tribe, Alaska Native village and corporation or Native Hawaiian organization or museum representatives to accompany or accept human remains or other cultural items that are being repatriated; b) transportation of Native American human remains or cultural items that are being repatriated; and c) construction of appropriate containers for the transport and disposition of repatriated Native American human remains and cultural items. Grant funds may not be used for tribal activities related to the documentation or repatriation of human remains and cultural items from the Smithsonian Institution; nor for museum or tribal costs of litigation, including expert testimony; care and curation of repatriated Native American human remains and cultural items; construction or renovation of facilities; or purchase of land or buildings.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility:   Eligible applicants for museum documentation awards include any institution or State or nonfederal agency (including any institution of higher learning) that has possession of, or control over, Native American human remains or cultural items and which has completed the following NAGPRA obligations: provided a written summary of their Native American collections to culturally affiliated Indian tribes and the National Park Service; and submitted an inventory of Native American human remains and associated funerary objects in their collections to culturally affiliated Indian tribes and the National Park Service. Eligible applicants for tribal documentation and repatriation awards are Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages or corporations, or Native Hawaiian organizations that meet the criteria outlined in the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. An Indian tribe is defined in the statute as any tribe, band, Nation, or other organized group or community of Indians which is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians. Alaska Native villages and corporations include those groups or communities defined in, or established pursuant to, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Native Hawaiian organizations include any organization that: serves and represents the interests of Native Hawaiians; has as a primary and stated purpose the provision of services to Native Hawaiians; and has expertise in Native Hawaiian Affairs. NAGPRA states that such Native Hawaiian organizations shall include the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Hui Malama I Na Kupuna `O Hawai`I Nei. Applications for repatriation awards will only be considered only after publication of the required Notice of Inventory Completion or Notice of Intent to Repatriate in the Federal Register.

Beneficiary Eligibility:   Eligible beneficiaries for museum documentation awards include any institution or nonfederal agency (including any institution of higher learning) that has possession of or control over Native American human remains or cultural items and which has completed the following NAGPRA obligations: provided a written summary of their Native American collections to culturally affiliated Indian tribes and the National Park Service; and submitted an inventory of Native American human remains and associated funerary objects in their collections to culturally affiliated Indian tribes and the National Park Service. Eligible beneficiaries for tribal documentation and repatriation awards are Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages or corporations, or Native Hawaiian organizations that meet the criteria outlined in the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. An Indian tribe is defined in the statute as any tribe, band, Nation, or other organized group or community of Indians which is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians. Alaska Native villages and corporations include those groups or communities defined in, or established pursuant to, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Native Hawaiian organizations include any organization that: serves and represents the interests of Native Hawaiians; has as a primary and stated purpose the provision of services to Native Hawaiians; and has expertise in Native Hawaiian Affairs. NAGPRA states that such Native Hawaiian organizations shall include the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Hui Malama I Na Kupuna `O Hawai`I Nei. Repatriation grants will be awarded only after publication of the required Notice of Inventory Completion or Notice of Intent to Repatriate in the Federal Register.

Credentials/Documentation:   Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular No. A-87 "Cost Principles for State and Local Governments" applies for Indian tribes and State and Local Governments. OMB Circular No. A-122 applies for nonprofit institutions. OMB Circular No. A-21 applies for universities.

Pre-application Coordination:   This program is excluded from coverage under Executive Order 12372. An Environmental Impact Statement/Assessment is not required for this program.

Application Procedure:   Museums, Federally-recognized Indian tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations may apply for annual grants in the form of planned activities and projects. Provisions of 43 CFR Part 12 applies. Applicants may contact the NAGPRA Grants staff at the National Center for Cultural Resources of the National Park Service at (202) 343-8161 or via e-mail at NAGPRA_Grants@nps.gov, or may obtain information by visiting www.cr.nps.gov/nagpra/grants.

Award Procedure:   An annual appropriation is allocated by the Secretary of the Interior.

Deadlines:   Set dependent upon the date of enactment of appropriations for the fiscal year for which assistance is requested, but generally set approximately February or March each year. Contact the NAGPRA Grants staff of the National Center for Cultural Resources at (202) 343-8161 for application deadlines, or via e-mail at NAGPRA_Grants@nps.gov. Information may also be obtained by visiting www.cr.nps.gov/nagpra/grant.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:   Approximately 5 months between application deadline and notification of award amount.

Appeals:   Not applicable.

Renewals:   Not applicable.

ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:   There is no statutory apportionment formula; grants are awarded competitively. Nonfederal matching share is not required, but is encouraged.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:   Grants are awarded for up to 18 months. Payments are made upon request for costs incurred.

POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:   An Interim Progress Report and a Final Progress Report are required from each grantee. A Federal Cash Transaction Report (SF 272) must be submitted to report expenditure of any Advance Payments made to a grantee.

Audits:   In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.

Records:   Full fiscal and project records to be maintained by grantees in accordance with OMB Circular Nos. A-87 and A-102 (for Indian tribes and State and local governments) or OMB Circular Nos. A-110 (for nonprofit institutions) and A-122 or OMB Circular Nos. A-21 and A-110 (for all other grantees).

FINANCIAL INFORMATION:

Account Identification:   14-1042-0-1-303.

Obligations:   (Grants) FY 01 $2,467,000; FY 02 est $2,467,000; and FY 03 est $2,467,000.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  
Range: $5,000.00 - $90,000.00 Average: $25,000.00.

As of fiscal year 2001, 335 grants totaling more than $17 million have been awarded to museums and Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages and corporations, and Native Hawaiian organizations for projects that include the creation of museum/tribe partnerships through staff exchanges; workshops and training opportunities; the coordination of inter-tribal and intra-museum discussions; hiring tribal repatriation coordinators to prepare and review NAGPRA-related documentation; and returning human remains and cultural items to Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages and corporations, and Native Hawaiian organizations.

REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:

Guidelines and proposal materials are available upon request from the NAGPRA Grants Program, National Park Service, National Center for Cultural Resources, 1849 C Street, NW., Room NC 340, Washington, DC 20240, or see Website at http://www.cr.nps.gov/aad/nagpra.grants. Requests may also be directed to the NAGPRA Grants Staff at (202) 343-8161 or via e-mail at NAGPRA_Grants@nps.gov.

INFORMATION CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office:   Not applicable.

Headquarters Office:   Sherry Hutt 1201 Eye Street, NW. (2253), Washington, District of Columbia 20005 Email: Sherry_Hutt@nps.gov Phone: 202-354-2203

Web Site Address:  
http://www.cr.nps.gov/nagpra/grants

EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS:

Projects include but are not limited to: NAGPRA Documentation and Summary Assessment Projects: a type of grant which provides tribes with the funds necessary to set up a NAGPRA program and begin organizing information received from museums, researching cultural affiliation and communicating with museums; Consultation with Tribes: a type of grant that provides museums with the funds necessary to finance tribal visits which facilitate consultation and allow dialogue about collections; NAGPRA Compliance Workshops: a type of grant that provides funding for regional workshops and training sessions allowing broad dissemination of information on the implementation of NAGPRA as well as information tailored to a particular locale.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:

Grant proposals are objectively evaluated according to four criteria: Criterion A - Are the project objectives consistent with the goals of Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act? (Projects that are inconsistent with NAGPRA's goals will not be considered for funding). Are project objectives clearly described? Special consideration will be given to collaborative proposals, especially proposals that focus on sharing and disseminating information among multiple museums and/or Indian tribes, or outline a plan to work with specific Indian tribes and/or museums. Are the project objectives clearly described? Criterion B - Is the project designed to accomplish the project objectives efficiently? Are the activities clearly described, in detail, with an explicitly stated link between activities and project objectives? Are activities organized logically? Are project methods and techniques described clearly? Are the roles and responsibilities of all participants defined clearly? Criterion C - Is the budget reasonable to accomplish project tasks and activities? Are budget items necessary to accomplish project activities? Is the budget sufficient to explain project costs in detail? Criterion D - Are project personnel qualified to accomplish the project objectives? Are project personnel qualified for the activities and tasks assigned? Are unfilled positions and consultancies clearly described? Are search criteria defined for all unfilled positions and consultancies?