The Association on American Indian Affairs calls on Congress to Support the Safeguarding Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act

On April 22, 2021 the Association sent a letter in support of the Safeguarding Tribal Objects of Patrimony (STOP) Act, and urged Congress to not only pass the Act but to consider strengthening the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and the protection of Sacred Places.

Read and download our full letter.

On June 21, 2021 the Association sent a second letter in support of the Safeguarding Tribal Objects of Patrimony (STOP) Act, further explaining the Association's support and refuting recent criticisms of the Act.

Read and download our full letter. 

The STOP Act prevents the export of Native American cultural heritage to prevent these items from being exported and sold overseas. When our sensitive items cross the borders, we lose our power to return them home. The STOP Act further requires the exporter to prove they have rightful ownership of Native American cultural heritage

Read more about the STOP Act.
WHAT YOU CAN DO.
You can help strengthen our efforts in supporting the STOP Act by adding to our voice. Please encourage your representatives to pass the Act. You can easily contact your officials by texting "RESIST" to 50409 or visiting congress.gov. 
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If you represent a MUSEUM, NATIVE NATION, are a NATIVE ARTIST, ATTORNEY, ACADEMIC, please write your own letter of support by following this guideline.


Read and download the STOP Act White Page Paper 

​Read and download the STOP Act Executive Summary
HERE ARE THE SUPPORTERS OF THE STOP ACT:
All Pueblo Council of Governors     American Anthropological Association     American Cultural Resources Association & AAA Archaeology Division Archaeological Institute of America     Association of American Indian Affairs     Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries and Museums
Association of Village Council Presidents     Catawba Indian Nation     Duckwater Shoshone Tribe     Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake
Hopi Tribe     Hopland Tribe     Midwest Alliance of Sovereign Tribes     Mount Sanford Tribal Consortium
National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers     National Indian Head Start Directors Association
National Trust for Historic Preservation     Native American Rights Fund     Ohkay Owingeh     Oglala Sioux Tribe
Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe     Pueblo of Acoma     Pueblo of Santa Clara     Pueblo of Tesuque     Pueblo of Zuni
Sealaska Heritage     Society for American Archeology     SRI Foundation     Tohono O'odom Nation     United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc. 
The only entities that are opposed to the STOP Act are those dealers and dealer associations that ​sell "antiquities" and "artifacts." 
READ the Association's letter about dealers' efforts to misconstrue the STOP Act's purpose,
​and put down the Association and Tribal leaders who support the STOP Act.
Lastest Updates about the STOP Act: