About the Annual Conference

Without culture, we cannot exist as distinct and sovereign peoples, and we lose our way. The vision of the Association is to create a world where diverse Native American cultures are lived, protected and respected. The Association has been a leader in protecting Cultural Sovereignty – the things that make us who we are as Indigenous Peoples – through our Repatriation, International Repatriation and Protection of the Sacred initiatives, as well as ensuring that culture is passed on through our Youth initiatives. The Association has advocated for the protection and repatriation of Ancestors, cultural items and sacred lands for more than 100 years, including the development of the National Museum of the American Indian Act, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, and the Safeguarding Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act, and other policies and regulations that will support the return and protection of our Cultural Heritage. The Association also provides training and technical assistance to Native Nations and others, and is involved with repatriation of private collections both domestically and internationally from institutions, individuals and auctions.

The Association's Annual Conferences are intended for American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Nations— Native Nation leaders, practitioners, elders and representatives, museums, institutions, government agencies, academics, attorneys, collectors, artists, cultural preservationists and others engaged or interested in the repatriation of cultural heritage. Repatriation is the return of Native Ancestors and their burial items, as well as the return of tangible and intangible cultural heritage.

Watch Session Recordings

Visit our YouTube page for Repatriation Conference Sessions and more. Watch Silly Things People (and their Institutions) Say About Repatriation
from the 8th Annual Repatriation Conference.
​NAGPRA practice has changed a lot in the last three decades. Can you believe all the education and advocacy that Native Nations have taken on to deflect many of the long-held beliefs that Native Peoples are property – or that all of our oral traditions are just myths and made-up stories – and even that there are no Native Peoples left? Practitioners share their stories about the “silly” (in retrospect) things perpetuated by academia and science about who Native Peoples are. Panelists talk about strategies to better educate and build relationships with those who have yet to understand the fierce resilience and perseverance of Indigenous Peoples.

Speakers: Deanna L. Byrd, NAGPRA Liaison, Historic Preservation Department, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma; Amber Hood, Director, Historic Preservation & Repatriation; Terry Kemper, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe; Shannon Martin, Gun Lake Pottawatomi & Ojibwe, Lynx Clan, Executive Director & Founder of Cultural Pathways Group, LLC; Sydney Martin, Elder, Gun Lake Pottawatomi; Melissa Wiatrolik, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians

Acknowledged By

Former Secretary Deb Haaland's message of support for the Association's Conference and Native American Cultural Heritage from 2019.
Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, Shannon A. Estenoz, and Former Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, Bryan Newland sharing the Department of Interior's ​support to protect
​Native American Cultural Heritage.