The following is a generic sample and should be used as a guideline for preparation of summaries tailoring the information to the specific circumstances of each case.
Month Day, 2017
Chairman or Other Authorized Official
Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization
Street
State, ZIP
Dear Sir/Madame Chair:
I write to inform you of collections held by our museum which may contain unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects or objects of cultural patrimony that are or may be culturally affiliated with your Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization. This notification is required by the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 25 U.S.C. 3004 and 43 CFR 10.8 .
The [collection, e.g., Lewis-Clark Collection] in our [Department, e.g., Department of Anthropology] includes approximately [amount, e.g, 110] objects catalogued in our records. Approximately [amount, e.g., 13 items] are specifically identified as being manufactured or used by members of your Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization. These items represent several categories of material culture, including [list types, e.g., textile, basketry and fabric items, as well as wooden and plant objects]. Of specific interest to your tribe or organization, this collection includes the following items from [location and items, e.g., Hawaii: two items made from coconut shell, several woven mats and cloth pieces, including some “Aloha” mats, several hand-held fiber fans, a wooden poi bowl and a pair of child’s sandals; and one item from the Northwest Coast: a closed-twine woven basket].
The [collection] presently includes approximately [amount, e.g., 12] items identified as being from [location, e.g., Hawaii] and [amount, e.g., one ] item from the [location, e.g., Northwest Coast of the United States] in the possession of the [museum, e.g, University of NAGPRA, Department of Anthropology]. Given these broad geographical designations, these items could be culturally affiliated with a number of Hawaiian organizations or [geographical location, e.g., Northwest Coast] Tribes.
Please contact [contact name, address, phone number, email, e.g., Bob Smith, Department of Anthropology, University of NAGPRA, 1201 Eye St. Washington, DC 20005, telephone (202) 354-2201, , for consultation regarding the identification and potential repatriation of unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural patrimony in this collection that are or may be, culturally affiliated with your Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization. You are invited to review our records, catalogues, relevant studies or other pertinent data for the purpose of determining the geographic origin, cultural affiliation, and basic facts surrounding acquisition and accession of these items. We look forward to working with you on consultations regarding any of these (potentially) NAGPRA items.
Sincerely,
Bob Smith, Chair, University of NAGPRA, Department of Anthropology
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