Office of the President

Call for CalNAGPRA Committee Nominations

November 14, 2023

Dear Campus Community, 

On October 10, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 389 into law. This bill requires the California State University to establish Systemwide and Campus NAGPRA Committees. The committees will oversee the state and federal Native American Graves and Protection Act compliance efforts. Respectful repatriation rooted in meaningful Tribal consultation is required by California NAGPRA (CalNAGPRA). The California State University (CSU) is soliciting nominations from qualified candidates. 

The CSU is committed to fully implementing the spirit as well as the legal requirements of NAGPRA and CalNAGPRA, which were enacted to acknowledge the fundamental human right of Native Americans, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians to their ancestral human remains and cultural items. 

The committees are composed of both Tribal and CSU representatives with a majority of the committee’s voting members from California Indian Tribes. All members are nominated by the California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) and appointed by the CSU Chancellor or the Chancellor’s designee. Click here to view the application materials or view them on the CSU NAGPRA website, nagpra.calstate.edu. Nominees can seek appointment to either the CSU Systemwide Committee or Campus Committee. Nomination materials must be submitted to nagpra@calstate.edu by November 27. 

Committee members can expect to commit to quarterly meetings per calendar year to discuss specific collections, repatriation activities and efforts, and NAGPRA policy. 

 All CSU representatives must meet the following criteria: 

  • A graduate degree in any of the following: Archaeology, Anthropology, Native American Studies, Ethnic Studies, Law, Sociology, Social Sciences, Environmental Studies or History, with a focus in California; and 
  • A minimum of five years’ experience working in his or her field of study. 

 Preference shall be given to members who have demonstrated, through their professional experience, the ability to work in collaboration with Native American tribes successfully on issues related to repatriation or museum collection management. 

You are encouraged to submit a nomination/self-nomination if the nominee meets a majority of the requirements, even if you are unsure as to whether they meet a specific requirement.  

Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns to nagpra@calstate.edu.  

 

Respectfully,

Soraya M. Coley, Ph.D.
President